


Before You Catch Me

by WarNux



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: AltMal tho', M/M, This Is STUPID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 12:13:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2467880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarNux/pseuds/WarNux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Police/Criminal AU: Policeman Malik is sent to investigate about the odd disappearance of the Metropolitan bank's money by following the instructions of an anonymous threat letter which content changes every time it wants. Malik is given 10 people to spot the criminal among them by listing 5 people he knows and 5 others he doesn't and only has 24 hours to find out the one behind the crime before all of them get killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Time Trial

**Author's Note:**

> Non canon names are random, but reading needed to know the meaning behind them.

The closer you look the less attention you pay. You show the book’s black cover to the class and say it’s red but the class deny as much as you insist until you turn it around and show the red back cover; the class remains in silence and you explain how you ought not to judge someone’s opinion when you’re not looking at it from their view. You see a thief with a small blade assaulting a young man, whilst the young man owns a gun; the thief threatens to death but the young man shots at his leg. It matters not who was the real aggressor but the one who committed it. It matters not if the young man was protecting himself; he’s still affected with penalty. Around a 5% of prisoners are innocent. Sometimes criminals are masters in the art of cheating.

“Malik, the Metropolitan bank’s coffer has been robbed” Rauf, a partner who now is at the police department, informed me about the situation. “You’re nearby the bank, perhaps you should go as fast as you can and let the workers tell you about details.”

“Roger” I said.

I then headed my way to the bank with the sirens on as fast as I could go because this seemed kind of serious; even if it wasn't, Rauf would always tell it with the same optimistic annoying way like he always do because he enjoys doing “justice” as his job. Sometimes I wish I had half of his energy and motivation to wake up at 4:00 in the morning and arrive the department with such life and stuff I lack for being so bitter. I suppose it was because I became some sort of young father ever since my father passed away and had to raise my young brother, Kadar, at the age of 14 or earlier. A lot of people at work assume my anger and bad humor comes from stress, but I tell them that everything in general makes me stressed: waking up early, traffic, prank calls, Mondays, people; everything annoys me. The only time I can be relaxed is when I spend my day off with Kadar, but it’s usually at night before next day for him to go to school.

Anyways, back to the bank theft. When I arrived there were at least two patrols, empty, parked and at least one soldier outside the building was talking to what seemed to be an employee. I parked my car wherever I could and came out from it so I could walk unto the soldier and an apparently-employee. As I stepped up in front of them the employee looked at me in doubt as he has never seen a regular policeman in the entire city. I sighed and dared to break the silence by assuming a possible fact.

“Please, don’t tell they tied the coffer and pulled it along using cars like that ridiculous movie and you let them go.”  
“I’d rather it was that way, instead, but it wasn’t” said the soldier. “Apparently, the coffer’s money was stolen from the inside. I mean, the money was inside, yeah, but someone managed to enter and take the money away leaving no clue, no signs; nothing but a complete clean and empty coffer.”

The way the soldier told me about it was so absurd like that movie. The employee mentioned that a fan was heard inside the coffer and it’s never turned on unless it’s empty or to do the cleaning. The guards looking after it found it really weird but they didn't care so much since they thought it was decision of the maintenance, but still made a call to the management department and asked about it. The responder blurts out to that and called the boss to let him know and make him order the guards open the coffer to look inside. When it was opened, nothing was there, and during the introduction of the combination to the lock the fan was turned off. No one can really explain the disappearance of the money buildings. There was at least tons of money inside the coffer and it was required of five people or more to carry all those bills, which should call the guards and employees attention but it didn't. Nothing actually did but that stupid fan inside.

I decided to cut the conversation and go upstairs to enter the bank. There were employees sort of separated in teams which each one talked about the situation and how absurd the way the money disappeared was. At the horizon of the inner I could spot some detectives talking to the bank owner, so I rushed unto them to ask if they found something suspicious. The detectives told me they found no proof nor any sign of this theft, whilst the bank owner was screaming in despair how this was a complete bullshit. I wouldn't blame him since this situation was completely stupid, as I've said so many times. I asked if I could enter the coffer and take a look at it, they nodded and let me get in confirming I wouldn't find anything, but I still did anyways. As I got in, avoiding the bank owner’s screams, I could see the emptiness of the coffer, the white walls and silver elements such as the fans, air ducts, tubs and bills bases. All clear and no rupture of a possible entrance. It was so odd until I heard something moving inside the ducts, like it was a moth trapped in it. I looked at all the air ducts to catch the one which contains the sound but the bank owner’s screams didn't let me pay attention until my sight was called by the duct at the bottom splitting out a piece of paper from what I could see from my position. I raised an eyebrow and walked forward to see what it was and take it. It was a white envelope with no sign or letter at all. It was still closed and seemed to have a letter inside. I thought in bring it up to the detectives, but telling them an envelope was delivered through a conduct would be a joke for them, or could even think I’m trying to prank them. I just put it away in my pants pocket and just turned back and walked out the coffer. I thanked the detectives and left as the bank owner kept screaming in despair.

Once outside, I got inside the patrol I was driving and locked the doors so no one would enter and took out the envelope, tore it carefully from the upper part and took out what seemed to be a folded letter. I unfolded it and it was in blank from both sides. I don’t know how or why, but whoever doing that prank with the intention of making me stressed they were doing it very well. I got angry as usual and threw the letter to the copilot seat with such wrath. I rested my head in the seat and ran my hands all over my face to land them on my legs in the end. I let out a sigh and just looked at the copilot seat and the paper was still there, but this time it had text, apparently written with a typewriter. I could have sworn that it had neither letters nor anything else but white and empty space. That was making me kind of nervous, but I wanted to think it was just the stress making me see or not see things. I took the paper and read it.

“Hi, Malik, seems like you’re having a hard time as usual. You might still think this theft is absurd and stupid, when it actually isn’t. There are many ways to steal and many thieves but not everyone have success in their own robbery. As you may know, the Metropolitan bank owned at least 15 billion dollars. Tons of bills you could even use them as seat, and all of it was stolen without opening the coffer, making any sound but the fans at the end. Don’t you think the fans were an odd thing? Why letting people know about your crimes anyways?

You don’t know who I am but I perfectly know who you are. I’m a person who knows everything about you: your name, your location, your job, your steps, your breath, everything. I’m not a part of the government or Bilderberg. I’m just a common person who is very interested in you. That’s all. I know for sure you’re a very difficult person to catch when it comes to social things, but when it comes to your job you jump to the action. This is why I stole the bank, because I knew it’d call your attention. And this is not the best part; I have an offer for you. When you finish reading this letter it’d be 9:00 in the morning, and I’m going to give you 24 hours to find out who I am and how I stole the bank. The next page has a list of ten people you know and other people with their birthday and phone number(s). You know the half of them, whilst the other half are innocent, BUT one of those its me. Why including myself in it, you might ask? Because I want to throw the surprise at you. If you don’t find out who am I during the time I gave you I’ll be killing them one by one in different ways you cannot imagine. You cannot ask for help because nobody will believe you. This is a typewritten letter, meaning anyone can do it. And you have no proof this letter was delivered by the criminal. And even if they believed you, I’m afraid I’d have to start with a random victim of the list. Everything you have now is your mind.

Right now it’s 8:56 in the morning and by the time you read the list the game will begin. You better start reading the list and move on. I’m thirsty of you, Malik.”

“What the fuck...?” I said.

The envelope only had one sheet and out of nothing another one appeared joined to the first one. That day has been indeed one of the worst in my stupid life; I never knew I suffered of hallucinations like I was doing in that moment. First, this sheet was empty and letters appeared, then it was the only sheet until I separated the second from it. That was stupid. I wanted to think it was nothing more than an immature joke until I checked the second sheet. Fucking damn it. It had five names of the people I know: Kadar Al-Sayf, Rauf, Abbas Sofian, Masun and Jamal. I wasn't so worried about the last three (who also work in the police department) since they were assholes, but I was pretty much concerned about Rauf, especially Kadar. The other five where people I was totally unfamiliar with: Domenico Andrade, Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, Osmar Riveiro, Carlos Escársega and William Gottfried. Even if I don’t know them, they still were innocent people, but yet I couldn't trust in all of them since one of them was the sick criminal. I decided to investigate about the unknown people and then go against Abbas, Masun and Jamal, but overall, I had to make sure Kadar was okay first. I put both folded sheets inside the envelope and placed it one the copilot seat.

Once I left the Metropolitan bank I drove directly to Kadar’s school. He’s currently studying at the Psychology University of the city because he says it’s one of the most important studies someone should achieve in order to make a good for those who need help. It’s a very nice view he has for life, though he mostly took that as a profession to give me therapy for my anger attacks. The only thing I don’t like about that school is the kind of people it has. Like, smokers or any other drug doing and alcoholism. I know this because I’ve had to fine dozens of students doing drugs behind their own school. It’s pretty much annoying and I try to keep Kadar away from that people.

I parked the patrol in front of the entrance of the school. There were some students outside staring at my direction as if I was about to take them all to jail. I rolled my eyes and just took my cellphone to call my brother. He doesn’t come out until 14:00, but this was an emergency so I called him. I supposed his phone ring was on instead of vibrator, as I always tell him to switch. The call reached five constant beeps until he finally answered.

“Aw, bro” he complained. “We were on exam.”  
“Finish your exam and come out quickly. I’m in front your school.”  
“I already finished my exam. The teacher just wanted me to wait inside the classroom.”  
“Then how did he let you out?”  
“I told him it was an emergency. You usually don’t call when I’m in classes. Did something happen?”

I remained in silence for some seconds next to release a sigh and laid back the seat. I didn't want him to hear me alarmed or anxious due this issue.

“Kadar…” I called, tranquil and serious. “I need you to be honest.”  
“Okay.” He said.  
“Have you felt something unusual happening to you?”  
“…” he remained in silence for some seconds as well. “Well, I didn't want to tell you but I've been smoking cigarettes every time I’m offered, which is not so often. Maybe twice or thrice a day?”

I huffed; both in relief and annoyance. I was glad he didn't mentioned something unusual or related to the letter I got, but annoyed for the fact he does cigarettes behind me; at least he confessed it.

“I’ll pick you once you’re done with classes, okay? Just for today. I’ll be waiting outside.”

Kadar takes the bus way home, but today I needed to deny it to make sure he’s safe. I know for sure he doesn’t like the idea of me, driving a patrol, taking him home since this would cause controversy with students and even his friends. He’d be fine with it if I was driving a normal car.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” he asked concerned.  
“Just…I’ll take you home for today, okay? I need to cut for now, since I’m still at job. Call me when you’re out.”  
“Okay.”  
“Love you.”  
“Love you, too”

I cut the conversation and sighed once again. I sat straight and drove back to the police department. I needed to talk to Rauf about this, since he’s the only friend I had. I was hoping he would believe at least a little and maybe help me to calm down. In a stop red light, I picked the envelope and took out both sheets and unfolded them. The one with the list was still untouched, the names were still there. I read them all again and focused on the five people I knew phones. All of them were valid, that’s what scared me the most. I don’t know about the other people, but I needed to rush to save them all and find the criminal. But my question was, how am I going to contact him if he left neither name nor reference…? Anyways, I put them away again and responded to the green light. It was 9:46. I couldn’t take any longer because I have a lot to do before the 24 hours are completed. At 9:58, I arrived to the department, picked the envelope with me and walked fast to Rauf’s cubicle. He was there, wearing a black keffiyeh combining with our uniform that covered both nose and mouth; he’s a Muslim like me but he followed the religion more than I do. He was revising documents until he noticed my presence. He was glad to see me and asked me about the bank.

“Got any news, Malik?” he asked.  
“Really bad ones, to be honest” I responded.

He asked me why and started explaining about everything. What the soldier and the employee told me, the bank owner’s hysteria, the empty coffer and the letters; the threat, the victims, the time, etc. He was rather confused about it so I took out the letters from the envelope and handed them to him to show him and opened his eyes wide with his eyebrows pushing down as if he was caught by a bad surprise and glanced at me. I asked what was wrong and, without moving his sight, turned around the sheet and there was nothing in it. It was in blank. Just like I received it at the first time. I snatched the paper and it had nothing from both sides. I was starting to feel anxious and nervous, especially angry. Rauf was still staring at me surprised. Then I told him to check the other one. He glanced down at it and back at me, turning the paper to me, but this time it had a terrible rough doodle of a dick. I flabbergasted and snatched it as I exploded and threw both sheets to the floor and babbling as I cursed mumbling loudly, kicked the bin letting all the papers it had thrown away, grasping my hair so hard to almost take it away and walked in circled in despair all at once whilst Rauf just was there, stood, looking at me with the same expression in his eyes. I let my ass fall on the floor, smashed my head against the wall and took a deep breath. Rauf approached and squatted by my side, looking at me.

“YOU have a problem” he said so humble.  
“No” I replied sarcastically. “Why did I not think something like this would happen? I mean, this is so stupid. The letters were there; I plenty read it and even memorized the names of the list. I know you don’t believe me, just like the letter said, but you know I never lie, Rauf. And I am not crazy.”

He nodded slowly and sat by my side.

“I never said I didn't believe you.” He said. “If someone managed to empty the entire coffer and no one was there to notice it, being there guards, cameras, soldiers and more, I wouldn't see why not believing in these letters.”

He had a good point there. I was glad he believed me but we still couldn't figure out how everything happened. He handed me a paper from the floor and a pen he had held in his shirt and told me to write at least the names of the people I read in the paper, so I did. Once it wrote them all he could just recognize Kadar and the ones who worked in the department, which were Abbas, Masun and Jamal. Rauf and I know the type of person Abbas is, same with Masun, as for Jamal, he wasn't a bad person at all, he just followed them because he had no one else to be with.

“Those three can be mean, but I wouldn't put my suspects on them.” He said.  
“Why not?” I asked.  
“Well, this criminal listed five people you knew and five others who you don’t. Everything I can think of this person is that he wouldn't make this game so easy for you. Like, you would blame them because they dislike you, especially Abbas. So this would make you deduce that they’re the ones who intend to detrimental you. You would target the most obvious people, which is what this person wants. Kadar is your brother. He would never harm you. You adore him and he knows that, and he adores you as well because you were everything he needed and still needs. And I wouldn't do this to you. I have no reason for a betrayal. You’re my friend from long ago and I love you as a brother. I suppose this person listed five people you know just so you lose time in the game, when the real criminal might be among the people you’re not familiar with.”

Rauf’s hypothesis was so legit. I should have thought about it instead of jumping onto conclusions. But it still made me wonder why that person would choose the five people I know; I supposed Rauf’s theory was right. He asked if I memorized the numbers of the non-familiar people and I said I didn't. This would make things more difficult, but he said he was going to help me go through this. I smiled and thanked for the support. He stood up and gave me the hand to stand up; I don’t know what I would do without him in the job. Sadly, my relief was ruined by a call from Jamal that rushed unto us with bad news.

“What happened?” I asked.  
“A man was found hung from the bridge a few minutes ago” said Jamal.  
“Has he been identified?”  
“Our men took him down and he was wearing jeans where they found his wallet. His name was Domenico Andrade and apparently, he wasn’t hung by himself. Someone else seemed to have done it for him.”

Rauf and I looked at each other because that was exactly the name in the list. I turned back and saw the letters I threw on the floor which then seemed to have something on them. I walked unto them and picked them up. One of them had the listed people back but the name of Domenico Andrade was crossed. Rauf came to take a look and asked if that was the list I first got. I affirmed and turned to the other sheet with a new text:

“Looks like you broke one of the rules I established. Congratulations, Malik, you just killed someone. Now, let’s make things a bit more challenging: you won’t just find out who am I and how did I steal the bank, but now you have to spot who of the listed people left is my henchman. Time’s running, baby. It’s now 10:34 and you have killed just one of the ten people I listed you. Think harder and keep your eyes open. And I suggest you to stop working with Rauf on this. Remember he’s in the list as well. Everything is permitted.”

“Oh, Allah…”

Rauf sighed and looked at me with sorrow. Not for the fact he couldn't work with me anymore but because I had to go through all this shit alone. He still told me I’d always have his support no matter what. I smiled to him as I thanked him for everything. Nevertheless, Jamal who was still there got a new report. This time was about a guy doing graffiti among the walls of the 5th Avenue snack shop and drug store’s alley, who managed to escape from the police’s sight. He was described as a black-hooded man in black pants, wearing red shoes and with the hood’s sleeves folded upwards and seemed to have tattoos. His face was unknown. Jamal told me to go and find him as an order from the policemen that were behind that guy. It made me hesitate in going, but maybe this was some sort of hint to find the criminal. I don’t know anymore. “Everything is permitted”, like he said.

“What about the ones who reported it?” I asked.  
“Actually, I don’t know” responded Jamal. “I received the report from a partner’s radio, but the voice wasn't his. Perhaps he’s ill?”  
“Or maybe someone else took it from him.”

I folded the sheets and put them in my shirt’s pocket as I walked out and told Rauf to keep me in contact for any new coming. It was 10:42 already. A break was not a luxury I could give to myself. I got into the patrol and drove outside the department’s parking, straightforward the 5th Avenue, which is far as fuck from my job; around 35 minutes from my job at least. I guess the only good thing of that moment is that I was driving a patrol, meaning I could go to higher speeds and pass stop lights as long as I had the lights on to show emergency. I still was worried about Kadar. I knew he was safe at school, but I just don’t know why this criminal would list him as one of the 10 victims he gave me, or even worse, why would he want to get involved with me? I didn't know this guy nor even in the least. These kind of things tend to happen when someone holds hatred against a person in particular, especially when the job of “justice” consists in catch and steal. But this person basically desires me in a sick and sexual way, which makes me wonder why committing even homicides just to reach me?

It was 11:04. The speed limit was 50 km/h and I was going at 62 km/h in order to rush and get in there in time before wasting more minutes. I wasn't so far from the 5th Avenue; I just needed to drive two more hectares to reach the snack shop and drug store to be there. I was hoping this guy wouldn't contact me with bad news, so once I reached the place I parked the car and took out the letters from the envelope to see if the information was still there…but it wasn't. The papers were again in blank, which disconcerted a lot. I still wanted to know what kind of paper was that to change its text every time the criminal wanted to make me desperate, or what kind of sorcery was it. I wanted to think it was written with those Russian pens where the ink disappears within 48 hours, but then I remembered the text was written as if it was done with a typewriter.

I got out of the patrol and entered the alley to search this guy I was reported of. I charged my gun in case he was armed, and because alleys can be dangerous. As I walked inside I could hear the sound of the aerosol at the right turn of the alley, so I went slowly and as silent I could be. The sound never stopped as I kept forward until I turned right, aimed and shouted “freeze!”…The next thing that happened was kind of creepy. There was no one holding the aerosol can; just when I turned the can fell off. I was so stunned that it made it difficult for me to walk with long steps. I turned my sight back to be sure and then forward. The alley was a long corridor with no exit and at the bottom I could see something written in red paint. I approached the wall to read it and, oh Allah, I couldn't believe what it said…

“Me and you, Malik. Think about it.”

“This has to be a joke…” I said.

I huffed and put the gun away, took out my radio to report the “false alarm” and as I started to communicate the radio’s configuration was decoding and ejecting static. Somewhat as if it was being hacked. This made me think on the criminal and slowly turned around and there was a guy behind me. His appearance was the same as the report described: black-hooded, black pants, red shoes, with the hood’s sleeves folded upwards and tattoos; his left arm is tattooed with some sort of Baroque design which swirls and spirals were unwrapping down from a really complex design as if they were being released, whilst the right arm had an octopus with some flowers following a similar concept. This was indeed the punk who wrote the text on the wall. I focused then at his face: dark-skinned but not as dark as me, golden eyes, rough face and a scar in the right side of his lip. He was staring at me as if he saw some wonder.

“You’re indeed handsome” he said.  
“Oh, come on” I thought, rising my eyebrow.  
“Do you like it?” he pointed at his graffiti.  
“No.”

He was still looking at me in that stupid way of teenager in love.

“You do understand graffiti on walls is a violation on private property, right?”  
He nodded with a silly smile in his face.  
“You do realize I have to arrest you, right?”

He lifted his hands to me so I could handcuff him. I furrowed my brow as he seemed so delighted for me to arrest him. As if it was some sort of compliment or honor.

“Aren't you going to run?” I asked.  
“Arrest me, officer. I am dangerous.” He demanded. “Inspect me, make sure I don’t own bombs, undress me, and touch me everywhere.”

I startled and gasped to his creepy and perverted comment. I was about to slap him but I concealed and kept interrogating him instead.

“What the fuck is up with you?” I asked. “And how do you know who I am?”

He chuckled and took off his hood showing his whole face. He had such a weird and vulgar hairstyle for my taste. His hair was so short that I could almost see his bare head, though in the middle of it had longer hair. Somewhat like those rough guys who are in punk bands. The point is, I didn't know why taking off the hood and almost posing like a bad guy when he should have known by then I wouldn't be interested in such a vulgar and dirty man like him. He then asked if I really wanted to know how he knew about me; I obviously said I did.

“I've been following you” he answered so honest. “I always do my best to catch you in time at the places you go so I can see your pretty face.”  
“Are you stalking me!?” I asked.  
“Yes! I even hacked the police department’s framework to know about you and track you.”  
“Ah, no, that’s impossible. The department’s framework is highly protected and monitored by the best programmers.”  
“Pfft, of course not. I entered so easily and now I know everything about you.”  
“No, you don’t.”  
“Yes, I do.” He started walking around as he was listing everything he knew about me. “Your name is Malik Al-Sayf, you’re 26 years old, blood type A-, you have a brother named Kadar, your best friend’s name is Rauf, you like owls, your address is Slave’s Lake Avenue, #2431 Carbajal colony, Postal Code 21330 with the phone number 566-28-72, your e-mail is al-sayfed@gmail.com. You’re single and your sexuality isn't defined, meaning I have a chance to date you.”

I opened my eyes wide and flabbergasted at all the true things he mentioned following of a slap in his face for his last comment.

“Why are you stalking me, you sick bastard!?” I yelled.  
“Because I like you!” he exclaimed so happy. “And that’s not all! I've been committing other stupid crimes like activating alarms, assaulting snack stores, kicking people, and such to get to see you. Of course, you've never seen me around because I hide in plain sight. Today I wanted to first see your face closer, so I made this stupid graffiti and show up.”

I remained in silent for like three seconds and slapped him again. I yelled at him for being such a creep and ordered to stand before the wall and put his hands against it. That idiot did so joyful and I started to inspect him to check if he didn't have any weapon with him and had nothing, which was really weird. He didn't even have his wallet, or keys, or a phone; nothing. It made me assume he wasn't armed with anything but that can of paint just to ACTUALLY get my attention, but graffiti is still considered a crime, and since he admitted all his previous crimes I arrested with no remorse. I handcuffed his hands behind and pulled him from his hood and pushed him forward to the patrol.

“Am I going to prison?” he asked we walked.  
“No” I answered. “You’re going to hell.”  
“Are you going to be there?”  
“What?”

I held from his hood as I opened the car’s back seat door when he asked. He turned his head to see me with a dirty look.

“Are we getting into sadomasochism?” he asked and winked his eye to me.

I blushed and raised both eyebrows and slapped him again. This guy really liked to be treated like shit. He just laughed and cut it as I yelled at him to get in the patrol, which he did quickly and I slammed the door because I was just so angry; as always. But I swear that day was the worst in my life. I got in the car and drove. It was 11:43 and this wanker made me waste a lot of time with his stupidities. It was just about time for the next victim to be murdered and I had to be sent to catch this ingrate. I still complained how they couldn't send someone else when I was currently stressed for the shit I was going through; though even if I explained them, they wouldn't let me out of a job. I just rushed in getting to the department so they can put him in prison. As I drove, this guy leaned forward to smell me like a creep; I trampled the breaks to make him smash against the steel mesh that divided us.

“You really have short temper, don’t you?” he asked with his face smashed against the divider.  
“You don’t fucking say.”

I said as I huffed and kept driving normally, but increasing the speed to arrive quicker.

“Look, today has been a horrible day; worse than usual. Some dick robbed the Metropolitan bank’s money leaving no sign or hint but a stupid letter that changes its text whenever it wants, putting me into his fucking game where I was given 10 names with their basic information and among those people is the criminal. This sucker gave me 24 hours to find out which person of the list its him, and if I don’t follow the conditions he gave me he’d start killing one by one, but that’s not all! Among these 10 people, five of them are people I know. One of them is my brother, my job friend and three fuckers who work in the department, and the five others are people I don’t know. One of them was found hung from the bridge in the exact moment Rauf was helping me and this moron made it worse! He now is making me find his stupid henchman, who is in the list, within the time left! By my fault, this guy Domenico Andrade is dead and there are other four unknown people I can’t keep my sight in. Ugh, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. It’d be easier if I knew them all. The other people were Osmar Riveiro, Carlos Escársega, William Gottfried and...Damn, I don’t quite remember the other guy’s name. It was somewhat long and Arabic. Altair Iben....?”

I listed at least ten tries to remember it because I didn't quite know how to pronounce his name.

“Altair Ibn-La’Ahad?” he suggested.  
“That.” I responded “Those people are innocent and on danger now. This faggot wouldn't give me the answer so easily by assuming the criminal would be a bad person I knew like Abbas, Masun and Jamal that would make me discard them but could actually spot one of them as the criminal in the end. Or assume the closer people would be the criminals but never suspecting of them and come out when I less expect it. As if what the real criminal wa-...”

I cut my deduction by staying in silence, flabbergasted and trampled the breaks softly and slowly until the car will would stop as I led it to a parking zone of some stores. My sight kept in front, my hands still held the steering wheel and my mouth opened. I was in shock, frozen for the next seconds, reaching the minute when I tilted my head up to look at the mirror and could see how that punk had his tattooed arms released and resting all over the seat, staring at me as if waiting for me to finish the sentence. I was speechless as I looked at him through the mirror.

“Wanted to make you waste time by focusing on the people you know whilst one of the ‘innocents’ is keeping up with the game?” he completed my sentence.

I turned my sight away and let my hands fall from the steering wheel, thinking on what to say or do in that moment. I felt trapped and even scared. I had my gun, but even yet I was paralyzed because I’m not quite sure what kind of things this guy could do. I think I underestimated him a lot. Without moving, I turned my sight back to the mirror and he was still there, so relaxed and tranquil, but then smiled.

“Who are you?” I asked in a whisper.  
“If I was you, I’d rather ask: how did you rob the bank?”

He asked.


	2. Delusionist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some elements you may not know, so I suggest taking note so you can understand the story better. Enjoy!

The fear kept me in a trance for the last long and terrifying minutes. It was 11:57 then from the last time I checked the clock. Nothing happened. I still was sat on my couch, looking at the emptiness and hearing nothing else but the silence inside the car and my inner self yelling at me to get out of the car. My brain was shouting to escape I could feel the vibrations all around head, but my body did not reaction. My body was in the same position since this man told me the last line: “If I was you, I’d rather ask: how did you rob the bank?” and here I am; sitting yet, repeating that line in my mind. The man, Altair, was still there, in the same position as well: with his arms stretched over the couch, waiting for me to say or do something, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know why I was feeling so horrified of the situation considering I’ve been in worse than this, but this man made a difference among the other criminals I’ve put inside this car.

“Psst” he beckoned me, which made me shiver. “Now what?”

I remained in silence for five seconds after he asked.

“ _What_ are you…?” I questioned as I muttered.  
“That’s not a nice question for someone you just met.” He answered.  
“You aren’t human, are you?”  
“What would be a _human_ to you?”

I didn’t answer.

The fear was eating me inside, my hands were frozen and shaking as I was biting my lips I could taste my own blood. I could hear the beating of my heart, rumbling in my ears as low frequencies. I had the chance to run; this man was basically opening the door for me to let me run, but I couldn’t. My eyes stung and filled with tears early falling down my face as the environment inside the car was freezing, making my tendons swell and feeling as my heart was trying to escape through my mouth. I felt something was bad was coming unto me but wasn’t ready for the impact and in that moment, my cellphone started ringing along with vibration. That made me startle and give a sudden gasp. As it was ringing, I slowly approached my hand unto my pocket to take the phone and raising it with my hand rumbling in order to check the name or number I was receiving. It was Rauf. My breath was prolonging because somehow I felt safe and relieved when I received his call. I peeked at the middle mirror of the car and he was still there. With his arms stretched over the couch that I could appreciate his tattoos again. He impulse his face ahead, beckoning for me to respond the call. The phone was still ringing and I obeyed him by going out of the car and lock it so the man didn’t escape. Before that, I took the letter and put it away in my shirt’s pocket. And then I answered to Rauf.

 

“Rauf!” I exclaimed. “I’m so glad you just called. You won’t believe what I passed through ALL the day.”  
“I’m glad you’re okay, Malik” he said. “I have good news for you.”  
“Oh? Please, tell me.”  
“Well, it could be good news for you. We investigated about this person, Domenico Andrade, who apparently was discovered to be a previous criminal. A very dangerous one and a threat we’ve been looking for years. We could recognize the face but cannot assure he was the criminal we assume he was until we make a deep research on him. Just to make sure.”

Those were actually good news. Knowing it wasn’t an innocent person who died for cause of this criminal, but I didn’t know if they in my current situation.

“Also, I see you’ve been parked at the abandoned Randy’s shop and its old factory behind. Are you okay? Did a wheel of your car get a puncture?”  
“No…it’s something worse. Rauf. I’m scared. Uh…” I started stuttering. I didn’t want to look back at the criminal. He was very quiet. “Hgr-Rauf…remember the report Jamal gave us about a dude making graffiti at an alley? H-He…I don-…” I let out a rumbling sigh. “Please, come here as fast as you can, Rauf. I don’t know what to do, or…or…-please save me from this. I don’t how long will I be able to handle it. I-…I’m scar-…”

Even my stutters were interrupted by a sudden interference between Rauf and I. The static was strong and even hurting my earrings. I managed to hear Rauf’s voice being cut by the static, but the pitch was getting lower. Like his voice was changing.

The interference was slowly fading away until there was any but an incoming call from Rauf walkie-talkie, but it wasn’t _him_ the one who answered. The voice sounded deeper and started talking to me.

“It’s already 12:09.” The voice answered. “And during those twelve minutes sinking in panic, you just gave the chance to your prisoner to accomplish his silent escape.”

My eyes opened widely as he told me so.

“You better turn around and look it yourself”.

I somehow turned right when he said it and there he was, at least 10 meters from where I was, at the entrance of the old Randy’s old factory, holding a walkie-talkie near his smirking mouth and blinking at me as he ran into the factory. I charged my gun as I ran behind him. He was perhaps far ahead from me, since I don’t know the interior of the factory but when I reached the door he entered in, I discovered he ran upstairs. The stairs would only make me slower to catch the criminal but I couldn’t give myself the luxury to wander around the place and find a possible elevator. The old Randy’s factory had six floors and I couldn’t see the criminal anywhere at the top but his stupid laughs and vulgar compliments at me. Calling me stupid names such as: “queen of wrath”, “baby rage”, and more annoying names.

I kept hearing him into the same room but couldn’t see him. When I reached the final floor, which leaded me to the roof, I kicked the door that blocked it and raised my gun as I wandered my sight to find him. He seemed to not be there, which was impossible to me. He couldn’t have escaped unless he jumped off the building. But then he got my guard down and slapped my butt, making me shot at the sky. Luckily, there was no one nor anything passing above me like a bird or a helicopter.

“Wow, its big” he praised to my butt.

His dirty compliment made me freeze and blush, as well as filling my head with anger. I did not blush because I was nervous or flattered but because it made me feel so repulsed by his action and annoying personality. In a sudden, I put my weight on my left leg to spin and throw a kick at him but he wasn’t behind anymore, making me just kick the air, then I heard him whistle and turned at the way I heard it, and there he was. Standing there like an idiot with his hands up. Goofing and waving at me as he knew I couldn’t shot him since he didn’t have any weapon with him from the time I checked him, yet I aimed at him.

“I know you want to shot, rage queen” he said, smirking and sending a blink at me.  
“What do you want from me!?” I exclaimed. “And stop calling me with stupid names!”  
“They suit you! You have at least exploded to most of the comments I’ve made in all the day.”  
“S-Shut up, wanker! I don’t know what’s going on, or what do you want, but I swear you’ll never be able to look at the daylight anymore. I’ll put you in a deep whole where you’ll dry and die of despair for wh-…”  
“For what? For sending threatening letters sent throughout a ventilation duct from the Metropolitan bank, written with a typewriter which text changes magically every time you stress for not being able to find the person that gave you a time limit to find out the real criminal among the listed people, included _them_ , who is somewhat killing everyone in the list somewhere else and perhaps far away from us? Be logic. That's hard to believe.”

I couldn’t help but stay flabbergasted to his description. Reporting that would only make me look like a fool and probably get fired. I couldn’t put my job in that risk. Incriminating someone for “magically” sending threatening letters which text changed is as fool as arresting someone for doing magic and for that we’d have to believe in such thing. I’d lose the case.

I put my gun down and glared at him as I let go my stress by exhaling. He was still smirking at me. In that dirty and vulgar way.

“Also…” he added and did a circular movement with his fingers and all on a sudden he was holding a gun in his right hand and aimed at me. “You’re really close to find out how I stole the bank but your time’s going. Now it’s 12:45. How fast, isn’t it?”

I stayed frozen even when I still was holding my gun. I couldn’t risk my life yet. Though something was happening. He was stepping back, still aiming at me with the gun held by the flowered hand, approaching to the edge of the roof, as if he intended to fall down the building.

“All this adventure took longer than I expected, but I’m afraid I’ll have to put some pressure on-…no, I mean, _more_ pressure on you so we can make things faster. I’m going to count till 3 and meanwhile you should answer at how I robbed the bank by the hints I gave you during all our beautiful adventure, but you should do it fast, okay? Ready? One, two…”

I wasn’t able to even swallow the first instructions he gave until I snapped out by the time he started counting and by instinct I shot at him, but as the bullet reached him there was like an explosion of feathers, leaving no sign of him. That made me startle to the point of dropping my gun and freeze for the impact. My eyes opened wide along my flabbergasted expression, I stayed frozen for some seconds and looking at the feathers falling on the floor and down the building. I noticed they were eagle feathers. It was curious. When I snapped out I turned around to make sure he wasn’t there, stalking me somewhere or just standing as he did before. I took my gun and walked ahead slowly, holding my gun with both rumbling hands, hoping it was nothing more but a joke, trick or anything. Even hoping he was down there, waiting for me to make me explode again, but as I reached the edge I looked down and on the floor I could see a message _written_ with the eagle feathers.

“Do you have the answer now?”

That’s what the message said.

It took me some seconds to realize it was some sort of trick, yet I denied the fact it was magic. It seemed to be the only answer but I tried to think on another. Nothing. I couldn’t think on anything else. My sight was lost but my mind was on its path, looking for the answers, and the fear was wrapping me again. It felt as if danger was coming to devour me from behind. Even if my mind yelled at me to turn around or step away from the edge, my body didn’t do it. My body was paralyzed and could only hear my breath. The back of my head was losing air, like it was fading away, and my left ear getting warm. Warmer and warmer until I felt a breath invading it…It was him. My heard was rumbling, I was sweating, my heart was beating hard, my hands were shaking and suddenly, all those reactions in my body stopped with a soft “boo” delivered to my ear, which made it feel my heart charged against the chest and impulse ahead, like if someone pushed me, my foot hit the edge’s extrude, avoiding me from bumping and making me fall down the building. My sight was straight and it only caught the image according the position of my head, so I managed to look at the floor approaching so quickly, as the air hit my face roughly and everything became dark and silent in a blink of an eye when I received the impact of the fall.

Darkness, fear, binaural beats. Those were the only things I could perceive in a moment. I wasn’t sure if the impact killed me, or I managed to survive somehow. The strange binaural beats were jumping around the emptiness, almost making a disturbing melody, but instead they were composing a voice. The voice was distorted and slowly arranging in a straight line yet the intensity of it was low. The dark was clearing along with the voice increasing at a time; the image was blurred but still had hues. It slowly sharpened until the image was drawn for my sight. The criminal was there, looking at me. I couldn’t move somehow.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” He said. “What a kiss you gave to the floor.”

My eyes opened wide and gasped, but somewhat that inflicted pain to my palate and inner cheeks, and suddenly I could taste my own blood.

“No, no, no! No talking. That literally will make things worse. Let me explain you: you’re attached to a chair and the device enclosing your head is a Scold’s Bridle, which is an iron muzzle in an iron framework projected into the mouth and pressed down on the tongue. Any movement, even your breath, may cause you pain, so be careful. It’s an interesting device which was used in the medieval era as an instrument of punishment. ”

The pain was intense, but the terror was stronger.

“Well, now I have a game for you. So, try to not make sounds with your mouth because the Scold’s Bridle will tear all your mouth. The game is the next...”

Then he took a piece of folded paper from his pockets and unfolded it, making it seem like some sort of paper whirlybird. He held it in a curious way: he held the four corners of the paper with pointer fingers and thumbs on both hands, keeping two pair of corners together and the other two pairs separated so that only a half of the internal sides of the corners are visible.

“Do you know this game?” He asked.

I slightly shook my head, letting him know I didn’t.

“This is a Paper Fortune-Teller” he answered. “It’s actually game for kids. Here I have four colours for you: grey, maroon, black and pale pink and you’re going to choose one of them. Then I’m going to spell the colour name and you’ll see two groups of numbers inside of it. You choose a number and I switch the two groups of numbers the times the number is. You’re going to do this thrice and at the final turn I’ll lift the flap and reveal the fortune underneath. It’s simple. Any question about it?”

I just shook my head again, but the Scold’s Bridle made it hard for me because even the softest movements caused me pain inside my mouth. I still was hurt by the first impact that tore my inner cheeks and part of my tongue.

He smiled at me and asked me to choose a colour. He knew I couldn’t talk so he pointed at the colour grey of the paper whirlybird and beckoned with his sight at me, asking if I wanted that colour. I denied, and he pointed at the next colour (which was maroon, then black and pale pink).

Following the order of the colours I made him repeat the action until he reached pale pink. Somehow it made me think it’d be a better choose, but it was just a colour. It didn’t tell anything to me. Especially with the numbers. He spelled the pale pink as in two syllables and I could the see numbers as he switched the paper whirlybird, starting from 1 to 8, but this time it was showing only 7, 8, 3 and 4. He asked me to choose a number. I usually go for even numbers, so I chose 4. He switched the paper whirlybird four times for the second time and I got the same numbers to choose. He reminded me I couldn’t repeat the previous chosen numbers, so I went for an odd number: 7. He switched the paper whirlybird seven times and I reached the last chance. The numbers changed this time. They were 1, 2, 5 and 6. I thought wisely, even if I didn’t know what was coming next. I went for an odd number: 5. This time he didn’t switch the paper whirlybird but lifted the flap and he opened his eyes wide and pressed his lips as if he was surprised. He turned his sight at me and showed me what it the lifted flap had written. It had my brother’s name.

When I saw my brother’s name in the paper I gasped, and the iron framework hurt my tongue.

“You know this person? Kadar Al-Sayf?” he asked.

I just looked at him, with a worrisome frown. He chuckled at me.

“You have to. He has the same surname as you.”

He threw the paper whirlybird away as if it was some piece of trash and approached to me. I tried to back up even though I was attached to the chair. I was shaking, sweating, almost hyperventilating that it made it hard for me to breath. The Scold’s Bridle was poking my tongue, it hurt a little but the fear was stronger than the pain. The psychological terror has always surpassed physical on me somehow. He approached his face close to mine, as if he wanted to kiss me. I only stared at him with panic and he carefully held my cheeks with his fingertips, caressing them so delicate. Then he smirked.

“Round two” he said as he backed up. “This is going to be a game for two. And we’ll have our special guest. Ready?”

He snapped his fingers and next to him, a sudden tall cloud of smoke with fire emerged out of nothing, as if he was some sort of magician, and when the smoke faded away and the fire became in little sparks falling down, my brother was there. He was handcuffed to his back, wearing a Scold’s Bridle as well, he had blood running down from his mouth and the top of a white shirt stained with it, with his bare feet, chained, planted on the cold and rough floor. That made me startle and get my tongue and cheeks torn.

“Ah-ah-ah!” he called out. “Calm down, guys! You’ll end up mouthless if you stress like this. Especially you, little one.”

He meant my brother.

“Now, we’re going to play another game. Hehe. This sounds like that movie. _Hello, Malik, I want to play a game._ Haha! Okay, enough of jokes. This is another kids game called _Would You Rather_ , but brought to a hardcore level. It consists in asking, well, _would you rather_ do certain thing or this thing and such. You’ll only have two options and you cannot deny to any. And this time, our guest is going to play this game.”

He turned to Kadar and put his dirty hand on my brother’s shoulder, and released his hands from the chains somehow, but then held his right arm to not let it go. Kadar looked up at him with fear, his legs were shaking and I could see his eyes crystalized ready to break in tears.

“And the question for you is...” he took out a dagger from his pocket of the back. “ _Would you rather_ bury this dagger into your brother’s femurs to the point of disabling him from walking, or…”

He walked unto a wheeled table he had behind me and directed it next to Kadar. Over the table, there seemed to be something under a blanket. It seemed like a barrel. He held an edge from the blanket and took it off in a _professional_ way. It was a barrel, but I didn’t know what was inside.

“…keep your breath under this barrel full of water for 3 minutes.” He finished his instructions.

That was just insane. It didn’t matter what he choose, both of us would be tortured. I preferred that bury the dagger in my femurs instead of sink into the water, but he wouldn’t do such thing and if he did, he’d suffer as well. And I’d never want for him to drown into the water. This man is just sick.

“Hard decision, isn’t it?” he said. “I’d go for your brother’s femurs, in both macabre and sexual ways. He’d just be disabled and you won’t die. So, what do you choose?”

Kadar was stressing. He obviously didn’t want to choose. He looked at me and I beckoned him as in telling to go ahead and take the dagger. I sent him a look assuring that I was going to be okay, but the look he gave me was full of sorrow and pain. I incited him to take the dagger; he looked at it and slowly approached his left hand to it. The man beckoned as well for him to take it and when Kadar’s fingertips were almost making contact with the dagger, he moved his hand away and pointed at the barrel instead. I gasped, my tongue got torn again, and I let out a closed scream because I couldn’t allow that.

The man opened his eyes wide and pressed his lips again, amazed, his eyes met mine directly, but they were crystalizing.

“How brave” he praised.

He dropped the dagger and leaded Kadar behind the table, facing at the barrel. The man took out a timer and put it next to the barrel.

“There are no tricks” he said. “Mr. Timer is set on 3 minutes. So you can _trust_ me. Are you ready?”

Kadar just looked at him with his hopeless look in his eyes and nodded weakly. Then the man put his disgusting hand in the back of my brother’s head, leading it to the barrel.

“Take a deep breath” he demanded.

Kadar did as the man said and he slowly sank his head into the barrel and the timer started running. My breath was shortening; every second passing was giving me a lot of anxiety, worrying that he might not make it, because 3 minutes is too long to be into the water. 30 seconds passed and Kadar was still containing his breath. The man, with his hand supported over my brother’s head to not let it go started whistling, waiting for the 3 minutes to finish. The minute was reached and he was still under water. I was calming down because suddenly I had the hope he’d make it, he was resisting, but then I heard the sound of bubbles popping up from the water. Kadar was trying to escape but the man was keeping him into the barrel. Kadar was fighting, roughly pulling himself out of the water in order to breath. One of his hands was hitting the barrel because of his despair and then grasped the man’s forearm, trying to take it away whilst his other hand intended to hit him.

“Fuck!” he exclaimed, as he used his two hands to keep Kadar into the barrel. “Your brother is stronger than he seems.”

Kadar was desperately hitting the table with a hand whilst the other hit the barrel. The timer reached 1 minute 36 seconds and he was still fighting to breathe. The water being launched by the rough movements looked red; he was as well hurting with the Scold’s Bridle. I was getting desperate as well, trying to release from the chair I was attached to. I didn’t even feel my whole mouth anymore since the Scold’s Bridle basically torn off my tongue and left my cheeks so damaged the tissues of my skin were ripped that I could feel the air pass among the holes of my cheeks. I begged for him to stop and take me instead by emitting trapped screams in the bridle. I cried like a baby for seeing my brother being tortured that way. The timer reached 2 minutes and in the exact point, Kadar stopped fighting. The fist hitting the table relied on it and slowly lost its applied force, and the other hand that in the end tried to fight against the man fell down. He stopped moving. There weren’t even bubbles popping up from the water. He couldn’t make it. I let out a cry of pain as I let my head fall. I couldn’t feel my face anymore, but my mind and heart were way more destroyed than my mouth.

The man took Kadar’s head out of the barrel. I barely looked at him and I could notice his cheeks torn off like mine. The man put him on the floor carefully and covered him with the blanket that once hid the barrel.

“That was intense” he said, smirking. “Not everyone make it through the first 30 seconds. I’m impressed, Malik.”

I tried to glare at him, but I frowned and kept crying instead. My dear brother mattered way more than that sick bastard. I wanted to die. I wanted to be with my brother.

“As much as I loved this show, I’m afraid I have to leave you now” he said. “I forgot to tell you this at the beginning, but I inserted explosives in your body while you were unconscious. Perhaps you never noticed the bleeding in your joints and the collar you’re wearing because your own fear blinded you from those little details. And also, I scarified the three numbers from the Paper Fortune-Teller in your right palm and the correct colour in your left palm. That would have saved your and your brother’s life, but you were so horrified. You’re weak, Malik. I thought you were better than this. Smarter, faster, stronger. Who wouldn’t notice the bleeding or the pain? There was pain in all your body, but you let the fear devour you. And the game is over.”

He took out a control from his pocket and aimed it at me.

“Time’s up. Game over.”

He pressed one button and I heard a fast beeping. I let out a scream of horror and I could feel my skin burning and ripping its tissues in a blink of an eye. My sight tilted up quickly, meeting the darkness and the sudden light of the day. I was still screaming for the next ten seconds when I realized I was laid on the floor, looking to the sky, confused and freaked, flabbergasted. My eyes opened wide eyes wandered down and there was Rauf and Kadar, surprised, apparently startled for my screams. After few seconds looking at both’s faces, I realized I was alive. Then I woke up in as sudden looking at Kadar, touching him to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating or getting insane.

“Kadar!” I exclaimed. “Y-You’re here! You’re alive!”  
“Well, yes?” he responded to my reaction, so confused. “And so is Rauf. And you.”

My hands reached his cheeks, who I could swear they were torn off. I sighed in relief, smiled and hugged him tight. I was so happy he was there. Safe and sound. He didn’t hug back after some seconds since he had no idea what has happened, and then I hesitated as well. Kadar pulled back a little to meet my face with a smile.

“That hit really gave you a night terror” he said.  
“What hit?” I asked and turned to Rauf.  
“It seems you fell from the roof” he responded. “I called you countless times and you didn’t respond. I worried a lot. Then Kadar called me asking for you, because he couldn’t locate you. So I picked him from school and looked for you by tracking the patrol you were driving, and when we arrived you weren’t in the car, so we looked everywhere inside the Randy’s factory, even the roof and thankfully Kadar saw you from above. We rushed unto you and you were unconscious. And you were having a strong nightmare. Do you remember something before this, Malik?”

I wasn’t feeling stable enough to tell the whole story. I was tired, exhausted, and even worried.

“It’s a long story.” I responded. “A long, disturbing and unbelievable story.”

Rauf and Kadar helped me to stand up. Rauf called a pair of officers so one of them would drive my patrol back to the Police Department, and he took me and Kadar to our home. He suggested me to go at the back seats so Kadar could take care of me. Once inside, Kadar noticed something coming out from the back of my shirt.

“Is that an eagle feather?” he asked as he took it out.

I looked at it. It made me think on the nightmare, which felt so real and macabre. Then I remembered the criminal’s letter I put in my shirt’s pocket. I unfolded it, hoping there was something, but it was in blank. Empty. I sighed and just pulled myself back to the seat, my sight facing at the patrol’s top grey carpet, eventually closing my eyes. Kadar hugged me in a way I could rest better. I didn’t even look at the clock to check the time left, but as Rauf turned on the car and started driving, I closed my eyes and let it go.


	3. Embroyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Malik wakes up from a disturbing dream he receives a basket full of white flowers of all kind.

As I kept my eyes closed, but without sleeping, I could hear my brother talking to Rauf, and caressing the back of my head resting on his chest. I wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation, but they were talking something about eggs with bacon. It had to do with food, which was making me hungry, actually. 

Once we arrive to the apartment me and Kadar live in, both helped me to go out from the patrol, but I could made it way upstairs by my own, but Rauf insisted in going to make sure I’d be okay. As Kadar unlocked the door of our room I thanked Rauf for picking Kadar from school and take care of him in my absence.

“You’re welcome” he said. “I’ll let the department know about what happened so you don’t get in trouble. And I’ll keep working on the case of the criminal. If I find something new, I’ll let you know.”  
“Thank you so much, Rauf” I said. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”  
“Worry not. Please, take much care and rest all you need.”

I smiled at him; we hugged and let each other go so we could get back to our duties.

I entered the room and locked the door since I wasn’t in the mood or condition to see anyone else in that moment. I headed my way to the bed and let myself fall on it, burying my face into the pillow. I heard Kadar’s moving around the room. I assumed he was changing clothes, whilst texting with his friends or something. I could hear every click coming from his phone. He put it away and laid by my side. 

“You need to chill out, bro” he said. “You have the whole day off, so let’s go out and relax”.  
“I don’t know. I’m too exhausted and concerned.”  
“About what? You can tell me now.”

I sighed and turned to him to look at his eyes.

“I’m being chased. Assaulted by a criminal I’ve never dealt with. A man who catches me before I do. It’s like he knows every move I make before I even think on them. I don’t know what he is or why is making me this.”  
“Wait, hold your train. What are you talking about?”

I sighed and turned my body in a better position to face him.

“Did you hear the news of today? About the Metropolitan Bank theft.”  
“Obviously. It was all over Twitter and Facebook.”  
“Well, I was sent along with other partners to check this case. I entered the coffer and it was empty. Nothing, but a weird letter coming from the air conditioner duct, which message changed its text every once in a while. It was threatening me with killing 10 innocent people, and the criminal is among them. Today I was sent to catch an idiot who resulted to be that criminal. I chased him inside the Randy’s old Factory till reaching the roof, where I supposedly fell off. He gave me 24 hours to find out how he stole the bank or else he’ll kill everyone in the list. And it seems I caused someone’s death already.”

Kadar ran his fingers through my hair to calm me down. I sighed again, since I was tired. 

“That feather you saw in my back…” I said. “The criminal provoked me and threaten with shooting, but I reacted fast and shot at him first. But when he received the impact he turned into many feathers, as if an eagle exploded. And when I approached the edge of the roof I looked down and saw a message written with those feathers. They said ‘Do you have the answer now?’ I don’t know how to explain that. I’d dare to say its magic, but…that’d sound absurd.”  
“Well, as long as you don’t say it was the power of God it won’t be.” He said. “You know Catholics’ answer is always God or Jesus. I don’t know. It’d be way more valid if it was magic than a white man who flew to Heaven and curses figs.”

He stretched his body and kept texting his friends as he was telling hypothesis to what the criminal does. I supposed I had to leave my skepticism behind and look at all the possibilities that this weird and fucked up world has. I sighed again and woke up to stretch my body as well; I looked at Kadar and noticed something different on him. He had earrings, and then when I was just paying attention noticed he was wearing shorts and sleeveless shirt, which I didn’t like. He obviously noticed my creeped faced and asked what was wrong.

“What did you do to your ears!?” I cried.  
He touched his lobes and smiled. “Oh, you like them?”  
“No! Take those things off! You know what I think about those things. Also, don’t wear like that! Those shorts look like lingerie. You look like a…stripper!”  
“Whoa! Don’t exaggerate! I feel fresh like this. And the earrings look good on me, so calm down, bro.”  
“Gosh, Kadar! First you get into cigarettes and now this? What else are you into? Orgies, masturbation, are you porn star? Which one of your friends am I going arrest now?”  
“Hey! Don’t overreact! There’s nothing wrong with earrings and cigarettes. And over all, it’s not illegal to feel sexy in your own house.”

He turned his body around and spanked his ass, putting all his weight on his elbows to keep texting to his friends. His shirt pulled a bit up, showing part of his back skin where I noticed he had a tattoo near his ass.

“KADAR AL-SAYF, IS THAT A TATTOO?” I gasped, and then yelled.  
He paralyzed for few seconds before turning around, putting his hand on his butt. “WHAT TATTOO?”  
“TURN AROUND.”  
“NO.”

Kadar quickly jumped from the bed to run unto the restroom but I rushed as fast as I could to reach him before he locked inside. I managed to take him from his arm; he started to shake his hands against me and so did I, making it a ridiculous fight against each other until Kadar gave up and admit it was a tattoo. I demanded him to turn around so I could check his back. He rolled his eyes along with a huff as he turned around and I pulled his shirt up. I looked at it so horrified, because one, I didn’t know what I did wrong as a brother for him to rot like that, and two, I didn’t even understand the design of the tattoo. It was something steampunk like. 

“So this is what you spend the money I give you!? Drugs, piercings and tattoos in the ass?” I asked.  
“I don’t do drugs! Just cigarettes” he answered. “And it’s not the ass, it’s the lumbar!”  
“That’s all! You’re punished. No internet, no parties, no going outs for 3 months!”  
“I can live with that. I have school’s internet, anyways.”  
“And Rauf will baby sit you.”  
“WHAT? I’m 24! You can’t do this to me!”  
“And if you try to escape from Rauf, consider yourself death of boredom when I pick you from school and take you with me at my job.”  
“Wow, holy shit! Fine! I’ll behave with Rauf.”  
“Good!”

Right as our arguments finished, my cellphone ringed. It was Rauf. I supposed it was something important. 

“Hello.” I responded.  
“Hey, Malik! I hope I didn’t interrupt your sleep.  
“You didn’t,” I looked back at Kadar, pouting. “Someone else did already.”

Kadar pouted showed his tongue, which was pierced as well. I gasped to that and beckoned him that he’ll be in troubles. But I focused on Rauf meanwhile.

“Okay. Well, I have once again good yet bad news for you.”  
“Bad ones first.”  
“Well, turns out we were sent a box, with a USB inside a long with two human fingers. We checked the USB content and it had a video called ‘Before_You_Catch_Me.avi’ and it was about three men, with small paper signs with their respective names: Osmar Riveiro, Carlos Escársega and William Gottfried, who were tied to a chair, and a hooded executioner was slowly killing them in three different ways: one of them was burnt alive, the other mutilated and the left one corroded by acid. At the end of the video, the executioner put all the corpses into a crematory and set them on fire. Then he put the ashes into a jar and said they’ll be lost in the sea. However, we sent patrols to the beach and gave the finger to the medical examiners.”

I opened my eyes wide and paralyzed for a moment.

“WHAT THE FUCK? The time isn’t even over!” I turned around to look at the clock next to the bed. “I-It’s just 15:16! There’s still ten hours left! That fucking bastard cheated…!”  
“Hey, hey! Hold up!” he interrupted. “I’m not over yet. Take a breath and listen.

I did what he said.

“Alright.”  
“We analyzed the video and yes. Everything on it did happen, but we let the medical examiners to make a study on their faces and you’ll never guess what we found out.”  
“Do tell.”  
“Those three guys were as well dangerous criminals we’ve been looking for. Just like Domenico Andrade. And the last ones I mentioned were also in the list the criminal gave you. Those four people belonged to the criminal organization called Knight Templars, who are a small group of people who had an individual task in order to get the same award. When the medic did the studies they discovered these people changed their identities to hide in plain sight.”  
“Wait, you mean those are not their names? Then which are they?”  
“Let me see. I’ll tell you who were playing who and what they used to do, okay? Well, Domenico Andrade was Majd Addin, the man who was known for assaulting private kindergartens, arranging kids by lines and killing one by one. Osmar Riveiro was Tamir, the man who kidnapped people and used them to traffic drugs and explosives. Carlos Escársega was Sibrand, the man responsible of many women’s disappearance. He sexually assaulted women before killing them and threw their bodies in the Salty’s Lagoon. And William Gottfried, who was William of Montferrat, was the man who used kids to assault and kill people. This organization is founded by the most wanted man in our state, Rashid ad-Din Sinan also known as Al-Mualim and his ten henchmen. And there are two left who are alive, but I don’t know about them.”

“What about the fingers? You mentioned two fingers. Whose were them?”  
“It belonged to other two men: Talal and Jubair al Hakim, who belonged to the Knight Templars as well. Weird, isn’t it? It’s like the criminal is some sort of superhero who is avenging his people or something.”  
Avenging his people. That somehow ringed in my head.  
“Wait. You’re not telling me that this wanker is actually doing justice by his own hand, are you?”  
“I don’t know. Why else would he kill these dangerous people?”  
I didn’t know what to respond in there. I started babbling to him, trying to find a valid explanation to that because it was hard for me to believe this wanker could be something good. Especially for all the stress he made me pass through. Then I noticed Kadar was watching the TV, which I never even heard when he moved to the sofa and turn it on. He was watching the news and they were talking about the bank’s case being a miracle for the people in Mercenary Islands. 

"Rauf, turn the TV on the Millenium News." I ordered. I leaded to the sofa with Kadar and listened to the report.

"This day has blessed the people from the Mercenary Islands, which once was exploded by the Knight Templars since 1966, but now the deities have heard their prayers and were gifted with tons of money. An unbelievable fact occured two hours ago. People said a rain of money fell over them and praised their gods. We cannot explain this fact since there was no source of the money rain; nor helicopters nor airplanes. Just the shining sun smiling to villagers. Some investigators say the amount of money rained is similar to the one stolen from the Metropolitan Bank. They assume the money was stolen in order to donate it to this town, but there isn't a solid explanation of how it was stolen, who and how was it sent to the Mercenary Islands. Yet the Finances Ministry cannot sue them for receiving money from the state."

I remained flabbergasted with the report. 

“Rauf, did you hear that?”  
“Yes” he responded. “That’s impressive. And it actually relates to the good news I had for you.”  
“What is it?”  
“Well, after investigating the listed people, there was only one person that isn’t involved with the Knight Templars. Which is Altair Ibn-La’Ahad.”  
“Yes. That’s the wanker that has been fucking with me.”  
“I’ll tell you his information: Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, 26 years old and was born in the Mercenary Islands. It says he escaped from the island, which is really hard to accomplish.”  
“But isn’t it the one crossing the sea? The one covered in mist and you can only see its tip over the mist.”  
“Yeah, but that island hides a legend. The legend says that if you cross among the mist, humanoid water creatures appear and devour anyone who enters into the mist. The internet assumes they’re sirens, but I don’t know. I don’t believe in those kind of things, or I try to not. But anyways, this is it. It seems this cr-…I mean, Altair is helping us with a case we’ve been stuck for years. His assassinations can be considered a crime since he doesn’t have the authority to do it, yet the execution is legal when it comes to dangerous people. And what he did for the Mercenary Islands people, which I assume is his home as well, would deliver him from any sue. You know, the Metropolitan’s bank theft.”

“But what about his techniques? I mean, how did he do all that if he’s just a villager from a very poor area? Do you think it was sorcery? Was it really sorcery?”  
“I cannot assure that. Its not like we can arrest him for using magic to take all the money since it’d be absurd and it’d make us look like complete fools. Have you checked the letter lately, though?”

It’s been a while since I checked the letter I even forgot about it. I looked for it in my pockets until I found it, but it was still in blank. It only confused me more. 

“There’s nothing in it!” I cried. “It’s empty. Like it was a while ago!”

After some complains, someone knocked the door. I wasn’t expecting any visits. I told Rauf I had to cut so I could attend the door, which is odd by the moment. Seemed like there was another signal of the criminal aside from the letter. Perhaps he changed his method. Rauf wished me luck before cutting the call. Kadar wanted to attend the door, but I denied it and told him to stay away. We were surprised over it since we never get any visits unless it’s Rauf or the landlady. I took my gun out and approached to look through the peephole and there was a half-faced hooded man standing in front of the door, waiting for some of us to open or respond. He persisted and beckoned Kadar to stay back as I charged my gun and silently unlocked the door without losing the man from my sight, I took a breath and pushed the door quickly and aimed at the nothingness. The man was gone. As if he flew away as fast as an eagle. I gasped and lowed my sight, yet glanced at something unusual aside of the door. It was a basket full of white flowers of all kind: chrysanthemums, roses, daisies, peonies and such. They were beautiful arranged, as if it was an altar or something. I put my gun away and examined the basket. There seemed to not be anything dangerous in it but a folded letter that said “For Malik. Read Me”. Kadar approached and gasped over it, placing his hand on his hip and putting all his weight on his leg.

“What the fuck?” he cried. “How come I don’t get anything?”  
“Shut up.” I demanded. “This might be a trap. I gotta read what the letter says. This might be from that criminal.”

I ordered Kadar to close the door as I got in and placed the basket on the living room’s table and sat down to read the letter. This time it was hand-written, but what a terrible hand-writing this asshole has. At least it wasn’t like doctors’. The letter said the following:

“Hey, Malik. How have you been? Long time no talking. No, not really. It’s only been like two or three hours since you fell from the old Randy’s factory, which I obviously saved you from dying or breaking your pretty face. But anyways, now you know how I stole the bank and what I did with all the victims. Like your partner said, yeah, they were dangerous criminals I’ve been meaning to assassinate in order to avenge to what they did to my village (you know, the Mercenary Islands) and me. I know how hard it was for you and your department to catch those assholes, but hey, I gave you the whole arm, so you’re welcome. (; 

Also, I was wondering if we could meet at the Sirenias Mall, the one next to the sea. You know, drink some coffee, walk, look at the sea and, obviously, talk about this entire embryo. How about at 17:00 in the second entrance, the one with the fountain in front? 

I hope to see you there! And look handsome for me.  
-Love, Altair. ♥”

A date? The whole thing made me feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, but it was the best opportunity for me to interrogate him and get information since this was a serious case. Like Rauf said, he couldn’t be arrested for magically taking all the money and then giving it to the Mercenary Islands’ people. I couldn’t deny the date either because I was sure he would keep stalking me. I had no option but accept in going. Kadar was so curious about the letter, yet I didn’t want to involve him in this case, so I didn’t let him read it. I couldn’t assure it wasn’t a trap from the criminal, or an ambush, or else. Anyways, I decided to go, but before it I had to call Rauf. I didn’t get into much detail when talking to him through phone, just that he just comes here before 17:00 to take car-…no, LOOK after Kadar so he wouldn’t do anything punk like what he’s just done. It was 15:27 already, and Rauf’s turn was about to end by 16:00, anyways. So, I started to prepare myself for the date.  
“Kadar, I’ll take a shower” I said. “Don’t even dare to escape or do any atrocity.”  
“O-kay” he responded as he let himself fall on the sofa. “I’ll stay here”  
“Good.”

I took the letter with me just in case. 

I locked into the bathroom, undressed and let the bathtub fill with fresh water meanwhile. I walked to the desk and look at myself in the mirror. I looked so fucked up. I’m just 26 old and I could notice the bags under my eyes and wrinkles. The stress of every day only made me look older and uglier. Or maybe it’s the beard that made me look like that. However, I walked unto the bathtub and slowly got into it. I cleaned my face with the water many times till resting it in my palms. I sighed as I uncovered my face and laid my head over the bathtub’s curvy edge, finding a comfortable way to stay rested, looking at the roof. Not really thinking on anything, just drowning my body into the fresh water and trying to relax before the date. Thinking on that was only depriving me from relaxing and just wanted a moment for myself at least for a short moment. I wish I could retire from my job, but still needed more years of service in order to do it. I just sighed and let it go. I sank into the water to look at the roof again but this time from the water’s perspective. I saw the bubbles I produced with the little oxygen from my mouth till something spooky happened. The water’s surface was drawing red lines around till painting all itself in red. I creeped out I emitted a scream under the water and for a second I paralyzed till my lungs couldn’t keep it more and pushed me out of the water, coughing the little I sucked whilst I was sank and panting for oxygen. I looked around the bathtub and everything was fine. The water was clean and translucent. 

Someone knocked the bathroom’s door.

“Malik?” it was Kadar’s voice. “Are you alright?”

I didn’t respond, just kept panting. I looked at my hands then my whole body to make sure I was still in the real world. Then retook Kadar’s question.

“Y-Yeah…” I said, stuttering and taking breaths. “I’m okay. Don’t worry.”  
“O-kay. Sorry if I interrupted your masturbation.”  
“Its o-…WHAT?”

He started laughing and I just barked. It was going late, so I started to clean my body and wash my hair, also shaving my beard a little to not look so old. Before going out, I unfolded the letter that came along with the flower basket to make sure the text was still there and just there it was. I honestly expected it to be gone as it did with the other one. Anyways, I tied the towel around my hips and came out from the bathroom. It was 15:58 already and I wasn’t still ready. I didn’t know why I had the urge to look good or “fancy” just to meet this asshole. But before even getting ready, I reached unto Kadar and hit his back head for his comment.

“What was that for!?” he reacted.  
“That’s for your stupid comment” I said and took his phone away. “And a plus to your punishment.”  
“Aw, man!”  
“Aw-man-me this! Read yourself some books or magazines like a 90s kid.”  
“No! Give me that back!”

The door was calling and I pointed at Kadar, with the phone in my hand, beckoning him to stay sat down as I attended the door. Before opening, I looked through the peephole. It was Rauf, still wearing his uniform and his keffiyeh.

“Hey…” 

He saluted and his pitch lowered as he looked at me, still wearing the towel. I totally forgot I wasn’t dressed up because of Kadar.

“Oh, fuck.” I slapped my face, embarrassed. “Sorry, I was dealing with Kada-…”

My sentence was interrupted when Kadar ran unto me and took the towel off and advantage to take the phone as well, leaving me completely nude in front of Rauf. I quickly covered my dick as I yelled his name. Rauf blushed and opened his eyes wide to lead them somewhere else away from my dick.

“I’ll wait here, if you don’t mind.” He said.  
“Thanks…” 

I stepped back, covering my dick, and closed the door and chased Kadar but the little brat managed to escape from me and locked inside our room.

“This is old school, bro!” he said, laughing.  
“I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU, YET.”

I leaded to the closet and took some pants and underwear so I could receive Rauf and open the door.

“Hey, again” He said.  
“I’m sorry about all this. Kadar is being annoying. Please come in.”  
“Thanks.”

I leaded him to the sofa so he could sit and I could talk to him, but he was caught up by the flower basket.

“Nice flowers. Who’s the lucky one?” he asked.  
“I’m the unlucky one.” I responded and showed him the letter. “He asked me out. Just like that! Just so we could and so he could explain everything he did.”  
“Uh…” 

He showed me the letter and the text was gone.

“What the f-…ugh. Why do I even bother? Well, that’s what he basically said. I’ll be meeting him at the Sirenias Mall, but I’ll use this chance to interrogate him and make sure he doesn’t stalk me ever again.”  
“I see. This might be something good for you.”  
“How could it be good for me? He’s a dirty jerk.”  
“Well, he can do his idiocies like any punk, but how bad could he be for helping us, even the government, to execute some members of the Knight Templars, and also getting back what he got stolen, which were homes and family, as well as their treasures? Perhaps this man is the bad guy, but that doesn’t make him a bad guy, you know?”

I sighed.

“I guess.”  
“So, what are you waiting for? Get ready, wear something elegant and go on the date. Get to know him. You might even get to like him.”  
“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

I headed to the closet and looked at what to wear. I didn’t really have many options, since my salary isn’t enough to buy luxuries but necessary things for the house and Kadar. I picked up a black long sleeved shirt that matched the pants and a gray tie. The time was passing so fast. It was already 16:18 and I had to rush, since the mall is far from where I live. In that moment, Kadar came out, texting and still wearing that stripper way I hate.

“Hey, Rauf!” he waved.

Rauf opened his eyes wide when he saw Kadar. I supposed it was because of Kadar’s clothes. He still waved back nicely as always.

“Oh yeah. Rauf, I need you to look after him whilst I’m away. He’s punished for the next three months. I hope you don’t mind.”  
“It’s fine for me. Is it for him?”  
“No. That’s why.”

Kadar just pouted and sat next to Rauf, putting his feet on the table as he texted. 

“So, where ya goin’ so good-looking?” he asked.  
“None of your business” I responded.  
“For the way you wear, you’re either going to someone’s burial or a date.”

Then he bent his legs on the sofa to Rauf’s direction, finding a comfortable pose for him, but not for Rauf.

“I’m sure it’s a date” Rauf added to Kadar’s comment.  
“Wow, how can someone stand Malik?” he laughed.  
“Shut up.” I barked. “I’m not that short tempered.”  
“Yes you are.”  
Both said in their own tunes. 

I rolled my eyes and just kept getting ready. Folded my shirt, adjusted the tie, and brushed my hair, which was way too short to even make it look nice unlike Kadar’s. The TV was still on the Millennium News and they were prognosticating snow for tonight. I grumped because I hoped for evening to be nice, but I just took Kadar’s fancy and expensive black feathered and gold ornamented cape instead. He looked at me and gasped.

“Hey! That’s MY cape!” he cried.  
“Which you bought with MY money” I responded.

He frowned and showed me his pierced tongue, which disgusted me. I just wore it and made sure I looked good before I wore my shoes. Well, I looked somewhat fancy in black and gold. Kadar was snapping his fingers and moving his arm like those Afro-American women’s stereotyped moves, and quoting me.

“Guuurrl! I’m Malik Al-Sass, everyone is arrested!” he quoted me.  
Rauf just chuckled. “You look great, Malik. Even when you move like this.”  
“What? I don’t do that. And you better behave before I duplicate your punishment.”

Both raised their eyebrows at me because I unconsciously did the moves. I paused and hid my hand.

“I’ll leave now.” 

I said, as I took my wallet, my phone, radio and my badge. After all, I was a policeman on his free time. 

“Kadar, behave with Rauf. Rauf, don’t fall on his traps.”  
“I’ll try” he said kidding and waving at me.  
“Byeeee” said Kadar.

I stepped outside, locked the door and went down to my car. Once in, I sighed and turned it on when I just received an email. I looked at my phone and I had a message from an unknown number:

“No.”

It only said that. I supposed someone got the wrong number, but yet a simple no was a very short answer. Text messages tend to have more text in it or at least an emoji. I just put it away and ignored it. I couldn’t let it distract me from my main objective. I turned the radio on to listen some music or those silly radio programs to keep my mind busy with something whilst I reached there. It was already late for me. The clock marked 16:44 and I couldn’t go faster because I wasn’t driving the patrol, but still rushed. The stoplights were on red every time I reached one. It only made me angry, and to make it worse, the radio was making interference with the signals. I tried to fix it but it only was making it worse that I had to turn it off, but it was useless. I heard spooky beats inside the car. I thought it was the radio, but it was turned off. I didn’t know where it came from or how to stop it, but it was becoming louder and penetrating my ears started to hurt along with my head. I grasped my head, covered my ears and in a sudden I felt as if I was in that creepy dream I had with that criminal. I remember it very well, and even the binaural beats it had. Suddenly a long and high beat triggered me, allowing me to get a flashback of that dream. My body froze and became rigid. Not realizing for some moments the difference between reality and delusions. My mind remained in blank and I didn’t hear anything until the horn sound of the cars behind was fading in till I snapped out of the trance. I was panting and looked through the middle mirror. I could see angry people beckoning at me for not speed up when the lights were green. I took a deep breath and sped up.

After the spooky moment and driving paranoid, I finally reached the Sirenias Mall. I sighed and got out of it. I headed to the second entrance of the mall like the criminal said, but I didn’t see him anywhere. There were few people outside, some couples and kids. I wouldn’t forget his face after all. I sat on a bench nearby, looked at the sea and waited for him. Meanwhile, I was trying to connect to internet on my phone and looked around every minute to see if he was there. I reached the place in time. Even some minutes late. Ten minutes passed and he wasn’t there. I gave up and put my phone on my pocket and about to wake up.

“Where you going?”

I startled and turned to the voice’s origin, and there he was. Sitting with his leg over the other with his arms stretched over the bench’s back. He was wearing a lot of maroon colours. His head was covered with a long red ornamented scarf like a hoodie, showing a few of his hair. A black shirt and a darker maroon long jacket. He seemed kind of fancy as well.

“Where were you!? And how did you appeared in a sudden!?” I exclaimed.  
“I arrived with a fancy delay.” He responded blinking his eye and woke up. “Let’s go to the mall’s Starbucks for a coffee and sit on its terrace so we can have a beautiful view to the sea.”

I huffed and had no option but going with him unto there. When we reached there, he asked for an expresso latte, and I ordered for a Grande Toffee Nut with lactose free because I’m lactose intolerant. What I disliked from Starbucks is that they charge you for everything you want to add or take away from your beverage. Basically my money would go on that coffee, but then Altair decided to pay it for me. This man would do anything just to get my attention. However, once we got our beverages, we leaded outside to the terrace and sat near the handtrail, on a small couch for two, to have a better look at the sea. It was very awkward for me knowing his intentions. 

“So, Altair,” I began the conversation “tell me, you’re a criminal who does justice for the people in need?”  
“Well, I wouldn’t call myself a criminal if I’m doing justice by my own hand.” He said. “Let me tell you about my story. I was born at the Mercenary Islands.” He pointed at the sea. “There, you can see the tip of the island surrounded by mist. It’s a very mysterious place with a great legend. But for now you’re more interested in me, aren’t you?”  
“It’s nothing personal. I’m here for business. Now keep telling your story.”  
“Right. So, back then in the Mercenary Islands, I was a fisherman.”

I felt something inside of me that felt like tickles and made me blush, causing me to emit a loud laugh that I couldn’t keep no matter how much I wanted. I had to put my coffee on the little table in front of us so it didn’t fell. My laugh was so loud and high pitched that it didn’t even sound like my own voice anymore. Altair was looking at me with his eyebrows raised and his nervous smile. It was really odd of me to laugh like that and especially for the people who knew me. 

“What’s the funny thing?” he asked.  
“It’s just...you, a now famous criminal, were a fisherman!? I just...”

I burst out laughing even louder that my stomach even ached and my lungs cried for oxygen I was even kicking the floor and tearing.

“Hey! We all started from the lowest points.” He said. “I’m sure your first job wasn’t the greatest.”  
“Well, I first started working on a Starbucks and at the same time as a deputy director. So, what do you have to say!?”  
“Well, I...”

I burst out again that I couldn’t breathe, interrupting him. He just put his leg over the other and crossed his arms, waiting for me to stop laughing. 

I sniffed and removed the tears away.

“Okay, I’m done now. Keep going.” I sighed.  
“Wow, you really have a cute laugh” he praised.  
“I’ve never laughed this loud in my life. Or I don’t even remember laughing.”  
“Well, you do have a cute smile as well. But I’ll keep going, unless you have something else to laugh about.”  
“No. Keep going, please.”  
“Okay. Like I said, I was a fisherman back then. The Mercenary Islands used to be rich in minerals until the criminal organization known as the Knight Templars assaulted our village, burning down many houses, assassinating many villagers and kidnapping people. Among the kidnapped people were my parents. I chased them by crossing the sea to save them, but it was too late. They threw the burnt corpses of my parents on my path, since they knew I was following them. From that moment, I swore I’d find them and kill each one of them. One of the survivors was a skilled retired assassin who trained me for this moment, and among the woods of the island, there was an old witch, who taught me one of the disciplines of magic: illusionism.”

Illusionism. So magic does exist after all, I thought. That’s how he stole the bank, then. But there’s no need to point that out anymore, since he killed those men anyways.

“How did illusionism even work for you?” I asked. “I mean, I think I understand you used magic for stealing the bank, but how did you get to face those men and kill them?”  
“It wasn’t easy. I made a trap by sending them a letter like I did to you, leading each one of them unto me, then I used my assassin’s skills against them. It was like a game I put everyone in.”  
“And what about me? Why did you involve me along with your targets? I didn’t even know you when the assault occurred, which was three years ago.”  
“Oh, no. I didn’t involve you for this; I just wanted your attention because hey, thinking on you gives me orgasms.”

I gasped and blushed for his comment that I only slapped him. 

“Will that be daily?” he asked.  
“Perhaps.”  
“Hey, don’t get mad.”  
“How can I not get mad!? You made me pass through a lot of stress all the day just to call my attention and fill your sexual desires!”  
“Whoa! Calm down, there’s people around.”  
“Good for them.”

I woke up from the couch, took my coffee and walked away. I was decided to go back home, since my time was wasted by talking to him. It was just another jerk then, and I didn’t want to deal with more of those, especially when it comes to sexual attractions. I walked out from Starbucks, directing myself to the elevator, and I could hear him coming behind me. When the elevator door’s opened, I saw him behind of me through the looking glass and turning me around.  
“Malik!” he exclaimed. “Give me a chance. I can be different!”  
“Get away from me! You’re just another urged jerk who wants to fuck with anyone they meet.”  
“Of course not! Do you really think I would cause all this scandal for someone? I mean, I know I did wrong with all this shit of the letter and threatens, but you’re just so stubborn that I didn’t know a better way to get your attention.”  
“Stubborn!? I’m not like that!”  
“Pff, of course you are. Everyone who look at you can see it. I’ve seen how you threat your suitors. Being them male or female you always dump them. Besides, I didn’t do all of this just to avenge my family and village, but because I wanted to do something good for you. It wasn’t the best way. I’m an idiot, yeah, but come on! Just give me a chance to show you I can be worth of your time.”

He looked so desperate for my approval that looking at him into his eyes almost convinced me, but I wasn’t even ready for a relationship, especially with someone who I don’t know. I accepted the fact that he did a great help for me in killing four of the most dangerous people in the city, but yet I was scared of what he could do. After seeing him in that disturbing dream I had, it only made me paranoid and triggered. Not only for my sake but for my brother’s as well. I couldn’t put his life on danger just to make this man happy. 

I just stepped back to the elevator and pushed the button to go down to the first floor, with nothing to say but look at his disappointed and upset face being obstructed by the elevator’s doors now showing myself in the reflection. I just sighed. A part of me was very angry for everything I passed through the whole day, but another made me feel sad that I wasn’t able to give him a chance to be with me. He seemed so confident and with the will of changing for me. Something no one ever has done for me. The scandal he made wasn’t in vain after all. He avenged his family and village, which was so noble for someone like him, and also wanted my attention. Someone else would have sexually assaulted me instead. But thankfully I’m a policeman. He appeared to have good intentions, but then I kept thinking on that dream. I couldn’t even assure if that fact was real or just a nightmare. And then when he confessed to be an illusionist, which thing I didn’t understand yet made me wonder if he made some sort of sorcery or magic to get in my mind and produce that disturbing dream. If he could disappear the money, leaving no sign, and managed to kill those criminals using his magic skills or whatever they were, what kind of sorcery would he do on me?

Once I reached the first floor, I rushed unto the exit and leaded to the bench I was sat when I arrived earlier. I ran my fingers through my hair, stressed again, not knowing what to do or think. Everything was happening so fast. All of this in one day was too much for me. I sighed and leaned my back head on the back of the chair, looking at the sky becoming dark and desaturating because the snow was coming. I closed my eyes for some seconds until I felt something really soft landed on my front head. I took it to see what it was. It was a white daisy. I had no idea how it reached me since there were no flowers around but some wisteria trees decorating the mall’s yard. I stared at its details, appreciating every texture it had, and it made me think on the white flower basket I received from Altair. It was such a nice gesture of him it made me nervous and embarrassed, since I’ve never received such gifts but vulgar emails or photos. I sighed, stood up and looked at the entrance of the mall, wondering if he was following me and hesitating whether going back to him and apologize or just wait for something to happen. In that moment, I received a text message on my phone from an unknown number with the following text:

“hey i’m sorry for being an idiot. i hope you can forgive me someday.”

It was him. I didn’t need to know the number to deduce it. I replied to it with the following:

“I’m the one who should apologize for being so stubborn and grumpy. I’m at the bench we were early. Can you come?”

I took a deep breath before sending the text. Suddenly, I somewhat felt my back warm; as it was perceiving some energy. I slowly turned around and there he was. I opened my eyes wide for magically appearing, which shouldn’t have surprised me anymore. 

“I got something for you” he said.

I saw how he took a small box from his pocket, wrapped in a black paper with a gold lace, matching my clothes. He handed it to me and I stared at it when I took it. We sat down so I could unwrap the small box and dig into the black paper that covered the real gift. It was a gold Nivada watch, designed to show its internal engineering. It was pure gold with its black straps, matching my clothes as well. It was beautiful.

“You didn’t steal it, did you?” I asked, looking at him.  
“Hey, I bought it with money...” he responded, yet I interrupted him by raising an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes as he chuckled “...I stole.”

I sighed and just rested my hands along with the box over my legs, looking away.

“Look,” he started talking. “I know I’m not your type, but before you break my heart I want to know why do you reject me?”  
“Its not that” I responded. “Its just that...I-I’m a policeman, and you’re now a criminal. Being with you would only put my job in risk. My economic situation is hard. I only make 200 dollars per month and its not enough to pay the rent of my apartment. And if I lose my job, I won’t have money, and without money, me and my brother will be homeless. Though my partner Rauf could take us with him, but still I should keep standing for me and my brother. Especially him.”  
“You adore your brother, don’t you?”  
“He’s my only family. He’s everything to me even if we fight sometimes.”

I ran my fingers through my hair and leaned back to the seat, closing my eyes.

“Everything is just too complicated now that I can’t even think right.”  
“Then come with me.”

I looked at him confused.

“I cannot do that.”  
“Of course you can. You and your brother can come with me to the Mercenary Islands. Its not modern like, but its really nice to live there. I have my own house and everything to live well. You don’t even have to pay for rents, since it’s a small village. The only jobs there are working as fisherman, meat hunter, fruits finder, quack doctor, and all those jobs, but it’d be nice.”  
“Altair...” I took a breath. “I appreciate this offer, but I cannot quit my job for it. I-I want a good life for my brother. I cannot take him away from what he’s earned here. Its nice from you that you want to help us, even though you threatened us, but we’ll be okay.”

Altair just remained in silent and looked away.

“I understand...” he said, upset.  
“I’m sorry, Altair. Besides, to be honest, I’m kind of scared of you.”  
“For what? Is it because of the illusionism? I wouldn’t use it to harm you....well, that time at the Randy’s old factory was just a bad joke. I mean, I saved you from falling. You never got hurt. And I’d never try to hurt you again...”

He approached to me very closely, staring into my eyes. I paralyzed for not knowing how to react at his closeness. I as well stared into his golden eyes like an eagle, and my breath was shortening. He put his arm around me, impulsing me closer to him. My mind was screaming for stepping back but my body was frozen like the falling snow that caught us in the right moment. My right shaking hand reached Altair’s cheek, feeling the skin and beard texture, eventually causing Altair’s lips to reach mine. The kiss gave me a prickly feeling through all my body; his lips were kind of texturized yet still felt their softness rubbing against mine. The taste of expresso latte on his lips made the kiss feel so much better until something came across my mind triggering me, making me break the kiss and remain flabbergasted. In a sudden, I had a fast flashback of the disturbing dream I had, focusing on Altair’s evil smirk and how he was asphyxiating Kadar into the barrel full of water.

“Hey! Are you alright?” He asked, but I could hear everything so low and slowly increasing the volume back to where it was. “Malik, talk to me! What’s wrong?”

I looked at him, panting, unsure of what just happened.

“I’m sorry” I said. “I have to go now.”

I stood up quickly and walked away. Altair came behind me asking me what was happening, and eventually stopping me by holding my arm. I looked at him terrified and he did at me clueless. He begged me to tell him the truth, but nor even I knew what was true or false. He pulled me into a hug, caressing my back and my head, telling me everything was alright even when it wasn’t. He was so protective on me in that moment, but my instinct impulsed me away from him.

“I’m sorry, Altair...” I faced him. “I can’t look at you like this after what you did.”  
“What?!” He exclaimed. “Malik, look, I already said I’m sorry and I swear for my life that I’ll never hurt you anymore. Or else you could kill me if needed. But please, I had it difficult to reach you. Just...ugh, give me a chance, please.”  
“You really don’t understand?”  
“What do I not understand?”  
“The dream. The horrible things you did in my sleep. You were torturing my brother and me.”  
“WHAT? How would I do that?”  
“I-I don’t know. Your sorcery or magic. I don’t know! How can I know you didn’t do that in purpose?”  
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Malik, I swe-...”

Just when he was about to tell me something important I saw him being electrocuted. He fell on his knees, paralyzed and I could see wires pasted in his back coming from an electroshock weapon owned by a policeman who was a little far away from us. I startled and remained flabbergasted for a little while until following the wires to its source and could identify me weapon’s owner...it was Abbas. That ingrate seemed to have spied us all the time.

“Abbas!” I cried. “You son of a bitch! Why did you do such thing and what are you doing here!?”

He started laughing.

“I brought some company.” He said, beckoning and what seemed to be a person behind me. I quickly turned around and Rauf was there. He pressed his electroshock weapon in my neck, making me feel how all my nerves and muscles were pulling out till my body fell down. I remained literally paralyzed and I could do nothing but catch everything with my sight. I was being dragged by Rauf unto a patrol, along with Altair being carried by Abbas. 

I didn’t know what was more painful, whether the electroshock I received or being betrayed by a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is dedicated to [Altairs_Tummy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altairs_Tummy/profile) for being so kind to me. Thank you! ♥


	4. Post-mortem

As much as I tried to move, it was almost impossible for me. I could hear, I could listen, I could feel, I could think but not move. The electroshock Rauf gave me had me completely paralyzed it deprived me from speaking. If only I was capable to ask him why. Why working with Abbas? Why his betrayal? Something I noticed in him was his look in his eyes. His eyes seemed lost and dilated I hardly could recognize the brown colour of his real eyes. Almost as if he was in a trance. 

I could see how Abbas was pulling Altair from his hair until putting him inside the patrol so cruel. Like an animal. Rauf was pulling me as well into the patrol, except that he was nicer when putting me in, in the backseats along with Altair. Both Rauf and Abbas were in front and as much as I tried to beckon them, they couldn’t hear me. And even if they heard me, they wouldn’t release me anyways. I’m not surprised for that cunt of Abbas, but Rauf totally took my guard down. 

We arrived to the prison. Abbas pulled Altair as cruel as he did, and Rauf took me as he did. Both of them put us into a jail. Altair was still unconscious and paralyzed, but I was slowly recovering. As soon as I could emit my voice out, I called Altair, but he was still unconscious. I was increasing my voice to him so he could hear me, but there wasn’t answer. When I could feel my muscles and nerves back, I moved along the ground unto reaching him and patting him to see if he was still there. My biggest fear was being alone in that situation. Especially then when Rauf joined Abbas. Suddenly, Rauf, Abbas and other two men came in. They were Jamal and Masún. They unlocked the jail and Abbas came in, supported himself over his own knee and looked at me and smirked. 

“You seem more stressed than usual, Al-Sayf.” He laughed.

“What did you do to him?” I glared at him, asking for Altair.

He kept laughing, as if it was so funny.

“Nothing. I’d rather ask what did YOU do to him, by leading us to him and help us to catch this rat.”

He took a stand and beckoned everyone into the jail.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce them to you. These are Garnier and Robert de Sable. Jamal and Masún as you knew them. Now that you know our little secret, we ought to thank you for helping us prey this cunt. He already fucked all our plans.” He sighed as he smirked pitifully at me. “Too bad he isn’t alive to listen to this.”

I gasped when he declared him dead. I kept palming Altair and telling him to wake up. I knew he wasn’t dead, but Abbas would do anything to fuck my mind up more than it already is. The electroshock he received was the same as mine. If I made it alive, so would he.

“It’s useless, Malik. He’s dead. And thanks to you.” He kept laughing.

“SHUT UP, SCROT. YOU’RE JUST TRYING TO FUCK ME UP BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK. I, INSTEAD, WILL BE THE ONE WHO WILL FUCK YOUR LIFE, EVEN IF IT COSTS YOUR WORTHLESS LIFE.”

Rauf then approached and kicked me in the face, almost breaking my nose, yet made it bleed. 

“R-Rauf...SNAP OUT OF IT. THIS IS NOT YOU. YOU ARE NOT LIKE THEM. LISTEN. YOU’RE NOT LIKE THEM.”

Rauf just stared at me with his empty eyes. Abbas looked at him, in a way beckoning him to take out his gun and aim at me.

“RAUF. PLEASE. THIS IS NOT YOU, FOR FUCKS SAKE. I’VE KNOWN YOU SINCE WE WERE FUCKING FETUS. THAT LONG AND MUCH I KNOW YOU TO BELIEVE YOU’D BETRAY ME FOR HIM. JUST...” My nose hurt more that I started crying, and not exactly for that pain. “JUST SNAP OUT OF IT. PLEASE. YOU ARE MY FRIEND. Y-YOU’RE NOT LIKE THEM. YOU’RE NOT LIKE THESE PIECES OF NATURE ABORTION, RAUF...SNAP THE FUCK OUT OF IT, PLEASE.”

Rauf hands remained stiff and rigid. His index finger against the trigger. His empty and dilated eyes open wide at mine full of tears. If my screams were as irritating and loud as everyone says, it should have worked in a way. Abbas was ordering him to shot, but Rauf wasn’t responding. Like he froze or something. Abbas approached to him about to push him to shot at me when the alarm started shouting, stunning everyone around. Abbas fell on his knees covering his ears as Garnier and Robert covered their eyes, screaming for the penetrating noise. It somehow didn’t affect me as much as them, since I yell as loud as that thing. I looked at Rauf and, with his empty eyes still on mine, slowly put the gun down and lead his other hand to his head. Finally blinking, grasping his hair and shaking his head all confused. I shouted his name and he reacted. His eyes were back to normal. Brown as they are and looked at me.

“Malik?”

He looked around confused until Abbas noticed he snapped out and shot at him from the back, falling in front of me. His blood stained my face a little, making me flabbergasted and cry as I saw him fall. I checked on him to see if the bullet reached his heart, and thankfully it didn’t, but it still penetrated his body. He needed to be attended in time before he died by bleeding, but there was no one but Abbas’ group, which he ordered Garnier to turn off the alarm and Robert to take Altair. Abbas approached to me and by trying to defend myself from him, considering my body was still weak, he took advantage of his good condition to grasp my left hand and bent all my fingers leaving them folded like paper, except my thumb. I screamed like I never did before because I had never received such pain like this in my life, nor even in that disturbing dream where Altair tortured me.

Abbas closed his face unto mine, glaring and muttering so angry.

“I’ll make your death so painful that your own madness will destroy everything inside you before death comes to you. Just like I did in your dreams.”

In that moment, I realized it was him who made me live that terror night, and not Altair as I blamed.

He pulled me up and dragged me all the way till reaching the basement, straight to the torture iron chamber where no one can escape once they’re inside. I struggled and did my best to escape from Abbas, but the agony deprived me to keep my strength. He was still stronger even if the alarm was killing his ears. Once we reached the chamber, Robert threw Altair to the floor and closed the gate so the alarm noises didn’t affect them, since the sound cannot enter nor escape from that chamber. He took Altair back and sit him on a chair that was facing another in front, and Abbas put me in the other and both chained me and Altair on the chairs, from our ankles to our wrists. Abbas clutched my face, burying his dirty nails in my cheeks.

“Now I’m going to make your own nightmare come true, along with the wanker of your bitch. I’m sure you’d love to die with him, scumbag.” 

He threw my face away and leaded to the exit along with Robert. Abbas gave me a last glare and stepped out, sealing the gate from the other side, making it impossible for us to escape.

I forced myself against the chains, knowing it wasn’t going to work, but still fought to escape and help Altair, who was still unconscious. The alarm was shut down, making everything inside in complete silence.

 

“Altair!” I cried to him. “Wake up! You have to help me out! We have to go out from here! The gate is impenetrable so the only escape route is the ducts above us, which are 10 meters above us. We have to find a way to reach them, but I need your help. I know you’re still there. I know you can hear me. So please, wake up and use your magic or sorcery to help us escape from here! This chamber contains every kind of devices among the walls, roof and floor: hidden machine guns, sulfur ducts, water ducts, deadly chemicals, poisonous insects and animals, air conditioners where they can transform this place into a big freezer or microwave. ALL that in order to kill us slow and painfully. Knowing Abbas, he’ll choose the worst and most horrible method so he can see us die in agony. This fucking room contains everything and is monitored from the control room, which is on the second floor of the building. I don’t know where everyone is, but those three are going to destroy us completely. This is why I need your help, Altair. Believe me; this room has an entire catalog where you can choose how to kill your prisoners. Please, Altair!! WAKE UP.”

The room’s alarm was turned on, bathing us in blinking red light.

“ALTAIR. WAKE THE FUCK UP. THERE’S NO MORE TIME TO WASTE. PLEASE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL THEY DO BUT YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP NOW. DID YOU HEAR ME?” 

The five ducts from the roof that were placed in each corner with the fifth in the middle just opened. As I stared at them for the first five seconds, thousands of water litters started falling on us, meaning they chose drowning on us.

“ALTAIR!! WAKE UP!! THE WATER PRESSURE WILL DROWN US IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. THE VOLUME OF THIS WHOLE ROOM IS 100 m3, AND WE HAVE 5 MINUTES, MEANING THIS ROOM WILL BE FLOODED IN THAT TIME, BUT THE WATER WILL DROWN US FIRST BECAUSE WE’RE CLOSER TO THE FLOOR. PLEASE, ALTAIR. WAKE. THE. FUCK. UP. I NEED YOUR HELP.”

The water was already sinking my legs and I kept forcing myself against the chains to escape, but it was useless anyways. The water kept increasing. When I kept forcing, the water already reached my chest and it kept increasing as I spoke.

“ALTAIR!!!! PLEASE. I DON’T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS. I DON’T WANT TO DIE. I NEED YOUR HELP, ALTAIR....” I stretched up and faced up the roof to keep my respiration from the water. “...I need you, Altair. More than never...I’m weak, okay? Just like everyone say. I can’t do this alone...” I started crying like a baby, begging to Allah to save me from this, even if it was impossible. “Altair...I’m sorry...”

I took a deep breath a second before the water covered me completely. I hardly could see anything around. My eyes felt so heavy once into the water. I still did my best to lead my sight to Altair. He was _floating_ already. His legs, his hands, his head were floating, his face showed signs of death. His eyes half-opened and his mouth wide opened, seeing how the water couldn’t enter more into his body. He was dead before we even got here. My crying let part of my limited oxygen escape and I desperately kept trying to escape, moving back and front, shaking my head like crazy. My will to live was big, but my chances were null. There was no way for me to escape. My oxygen was almost gone and I was still trapped, looking at Altair’s corpse that I stopped fighting and just accepted my destiny. I was fucked. The water started entering in my body. I felt the water’s pressure pass through my trachea until it slowly filled my lungs. No matter how much I resisted, the water was stronger. My sight became blurry, my eyes started to be half-opened. My expression eventually becoming like Altair’s. I couldn’t hear anything but the same binaural beats from that nightmare. My body couldn’t move anymore. I was dead already. My sight kept recording everything around but everything seemed blurry and slowly became dark. 

My audio was decreasing, just as the light around. And eventually, my body was floating, along with Altair. But my sight wasn’t done in finishing its film. Somehow I sensed the water pressuring against me. As if someone pushed it just to hit me in the face. My last senses could perceive someone’s else. It wasn’t Altair. He was dead like me. My wrist were being forced, as well as my ankles, feeling them released somewhat. I felt my body released from the chair and floating. Eventually felt something holding me tight and taking me to surface. I think it was Allah holding my hand and leading me to his heaven, putting and ending to my torture. Light was approaching to me. I was indeed in heaven. 

I could hear Allah calling my name. Screaming it as in “wake up, Malik”. He sounded desperate for me to open my eyes, his voice was cutting, but soon becoming clear. He was calling my name. Telling me to open my eyes. My sight was filming again. Everything was blurred and I saw his silhouette moving slowly. His silhouette was becoming sharper and faster until I could see. My mind fooled. I was still in the water, but my head in the surface. And the silhouette took Altair’s shape. He was talking to me so desperate. I hardly read his lips speaking “Malik. Wake up!” just like I demanded him. My audio was increasing its volume until I hear Altair’s voice so clearly. Telling me to wake up. My ears could listen, my sight could see, my voice could speak, but my mind and body were weak. My mind was disconnected from my senses. My subconscious could catch the whole film recording. With its audio and picture, yet I was paralyzed. My unconsciousness was speaking for me. Even if I could catch every message Altair was delivering me, my mind was too weak to tell my body to snap out. 

“MALIK.” He yelled. “ITS ME. ALTAIR. I’m alive, okay!? What you saw below wasn’t me but a mannequin! I used it to fool Abbas and his group, but I’ll explain you when we’re safe! We have less than two minutes to escape! This place is flooding too fast! This time I’ll need your help! I entered through the middle duct! The fifth one! It’s the biggest from the others and it has shafts, making some sort of ladder. The water pressure only comes from the radio of the duct since its circular, leaving a dry space where the ladder is! Listen, please! Don’t die on me, yet! You’re here with me, okay!? I revived you by giving you oxygen, or kissing you, however you want to take it. Your brain is still conscious but your lungs are still drowned. If I don’t take you out of here soon you’ll be in a coma, perhaps forever! This is why I need your help!” 

“I...can’t...” I said.

“YES YOU CAN! Trust me! You’ll be okay! Just do as I say! I’ll propel you up so you can reach the shafts and hold from them. You’re going to go up first! I’ll push you up, but I need you to use your last strength, okay!?”

“I...can’t...I ca-...n’t...” 

I was slowly losing my last strength and energy. 

“Okay, okay! Hold from me and don’t release!” 

He held me closer, interlacing my arms around his neck and his legs crossed with mine, making sure I was held enough to not release. The whole chamber was already full of water, leaving only the middle duct free of it. 

“I got you! I’ll climb the ladder while holding you, okay? Please, don’t release yourself! Do your best to keep hold on me! You can do it! I’ll pull us up now!” 

After making sure I was too clung on him, he reached the first ladder shaft with both hands and using all his strength he started climbing the ladder. His own weight was heavy enough for him to climb, but he was also carrying with mine, making it really difficult for him to go up, without letting me fall, yet he kept fighting to take us both out of the chamber. For every climb, he was bellowing for all the strength he had to put in his only arms. He couldn’t even use his legs to step on the shafts because he was holding me. They were at least twenty shafts for him to climb yet, and we were still in the third. The water was reaching us faster than we did for the exit. Altair kept fighting but my body could no more. I couldn’t feel it anymore but could sense how I was slowly releasing from him. 

“Altair...do-...n’t l-...et me fa-...” 

I could take no more and released from him falling back into the water. I could hear Altair’s scream a second before drowning deep down again. I was floating again and my body kept falling deeper. My last film caught him jumping off the ladder, approaching to me and hold me close. He did his best to reach the surface again but it was too late. The water almost reached the entire surface, and there was no way for us to reach it in time. Altair looked into my eyes and just hugged me as we drowned. He knew there was no hope anymore. He accepted his dead with me. The only thing I could catch with my sight was that red light painting everything with its colour. Altair hugged me tight. Before my eyes closed completely, I saw the chamber painted in green. Bright green. The water pressure was pulling us down. It felt lighter. The level seemed to be decrease. Altair snapped out and held me to reach back at the surface. With all his big effort, he reached oxygen as the water was decreasing. He was calling my name, telling me we survived. Eventually, he could step on the floor. The water was almost gone. He put me on the floor and started doing CPR on me. Pushing my chest and giving me oxygen mouth-to-mouth. I could feel his strong hands pressing hard on me.

The water in my lungs was moving but struggling to go out. I was out of my mind to describe the experience. In anyways, Altair never gave up on me. He fought for me, he was willing to put his life in risk for me, and he was even going to die with me. Something no one has ever done for me. 

Eventually, the water in my lungs was pulled away from them and coming out from my mouth. I was slowly coming back. I was coughing before everything sharpened. When my sight was clear, I saw Altair , holding me closer. My body was way too weak to move. I hardly could keep my eyes half-opened.

“We’re alive...” I muttered.

“Yes, yes we are.” He smiled at me.

I had a hard time breathing but soon I managed to take a deep breath, in relief and purifying my lungs. I leaned on Altair’s chest and closed my eyes because I was so tired and exhausted for all this horrible experience. 

I heard the gates opening and someone’s steps rushing unto us. I could recognize the voice asking us if we were okay. It was Kadar’s. My brother’s voice. I heard clearly, speaking with Altair. He was worried for me, asking what happened to me and what could he do for me. Altair told him to lead us upstairs to get help, so he carried me up in bridal style and held me close to him. I never felt safer.

When we reached upstairs, other workers were investigating and cleaning all the mess Abbas caused. We were told that Abbas, Robert and Garnier were found dead in a jail from the department. They investigated who killed them, and assumed it was Altair. Even if he killed them, I spoke in his defense and cleared that he helped us to catch the most dangerous criminals in the city, overall for the fraud they committed. A medic from the department was putting bandages on my injured hand, which pain I nearly forgot due to the stress I was passing. 

The medic gave us a towel to cover and left, leaving me and Altair alone. I sighed and looked down. Still confused about everything that happened. My mind was so lost that I didn’t mind the fact I was all wet. 

“Hey,” Altair called me “want to know a secret?”

“Hm?” I looked at him.

“I never knew how to swim. Every time I’d go to the sea I’d drown.” He sighed. “But when I knew about you being in the flooded chamber, I suddenly learnt to swim. Funny, isn’t it? How can someone is capable of doing anything in order to survive.” 

I raised an eyebrow and then chuckled.

“You’re seriously full of surprises.” I said.

“Well, I’m an illusionist. That’s what I do to survive and eat.” He said.

“Now tell me about that mannequin and how.”

“Hmm. You’d have to believe in magic so you can believe what I did.”

“Do I not?”

He smiled at me and then showed me the watch he gifted me earlier.

“You forgot this during the assault.” He said.

I looked at it, smirking, and he took my right wrist and tied it, caressing my hand. 

“It looks good on you.” He flattered and kissed my hand.

I rolled my eyes along with a sarcastic smile and he came closer to me.

“Do you think we can go on a date again?”

“Are you serious?” I crossed my legs. “A man who caused a scandal in order to make justice for his hometown and help the police to catch the real criminals that were fucking the whole city…has all my approval.”

He raised his eyebrows along with a silly smile.

"Can we kiss now?” He asked.

“No.” I gave him soft slaps to his cheek. “We’ll talk about it after I fix th-…” Suddenly, I remembered about Rauf, and my brother. I opened my eyes wide to Altair. “Rauf! He was injured! Where is him!?”

“Uh, who?”

I huffed, stood up and rushed to the department’s infirmary to check if Rauf was there. As soon as I reached it, I smashed the door calling his name and thankfully he was there on a bed…kissing with my brother. As soon as I saw them I let out a scream after calling for Rauf and they broke their kiss by screaming as well as they heard and saw me. Kadar knew he was going to be in trouble, though Rauf felt like he was going to be as well. I supposed that’s why he screamed.

I remained flabbergasted for some seconds and took a deep breath, snapped my fingers along moving my arm with my left one supported on my hips. Just like the stereotype of Afro-American women everyone say I do.

“One of you, I don’t care who, IS GOING TO EXPLAIN ME WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.” I screamed, as always.

Kadar and Rauf looked at each other and back at me, chuckling nervously.

“It’s not what it looks?” Kadar said.

“YOU are in more problems now, boy!” I cried.

Altair reached the place and looked at the scene. He was just amazed without saying anything.

“Calm down, Malik,” Rauf said “your brother saved me. And you two, as well.”

“What?” I wondered. “What did he do?”

“Kadar was very smart by turning on the alarm. If it weren’t for him, I’d still be under Abbas control.” 

Altair then put an arm on my shoulder. 

“Yeah, forgot to tell you Abbas is a mentalist. He learned it from my mentor.” Altair said.

“Wait, you mean Abbas was controlling his mind? With his own? Like a puppet?” I asked.

“I need to talk to you about illusionism indeed.”

“But what was the point of the alarm? You got injured.” 

Rauf smiled and kept explaining. 

“Well, I can’t tell much about the trance since I hardly remember a thing, but the noise made Abbas lose control of his _power_ that it eventually made me snap out. Not to mention your screams.” He hardly chuckled. “Can’t laugh. It hurts.”

“Gosh. I think his screams were louder than the alarm. Even I could hear them from far where I was.” Kadar laughed.

“Yeah. But even if the alarm was off, Abbas would still have killed me, as he promised me. Thankfully Kadar was there after you were taken away. I begged him to go to the control room so he could open the culverts and let the water go, since I knew Abbas’ plans. And, among us, he killed Abbas and his group, which made us a big favour like Altair did. Your brother is a little big hero, Malik. Like Altair was yours.” He then looked at Kadar. “Magic does exist after all.” 

Kadar showed sentimental approval on him and hugged Rauf, kissing his nose.

I was quite surprised for what Rauf said that it made it hard to believe for me. I wondered what kind of things was my brother into, but at this point, I’m glad to know he and Rauf were okay. 

“What happened before you were controlled?” I asked Rauf.

“Oh, that’s a really long story.” He answered. “I promise I’ll tell you once my body doesn’t hurt this much. Heh.”

“Sure. But one more question: how long have you two been this related?”

Both looked at each other, chuckling. 

“That’s part of the long story.” Said Rauf, smiling.

I sighed and looked at Kadar. “Well, whatever the reason is, you earned him.”

“Thanks for the approval.” He smiled to me as I did for him.

I glance back at Rauf. “Please, educate as much as you can.” 

He hardly chuckled and agreed. 

Altair said we should leave them alone so they can suck each other better. I rolled my eyes, but had no option but agree. Even if I didn’t like the idea of Kadar dating, I knew he was going to be in good hands. As for me and Altair, I supposed Rauf was right in giving him a chance. He might be an idiot…an idiot who would put his life on risk for me. I couldn’t deny I started feeling this way for him during the _date_ we had. 

It’s kind of funny how someone appreciates everything better after a deadly experience. Being dead wasn’t bad at all. Your soul feels free, light and fresh, and nothing would ever hurt again, but what’s the point of being in whole peace when you cannot reach your loved ones from where you are no matter how much you stretch and yell at them? The afterlife is not worth it if there’s no pain, and no gain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for the Kudos and follows on this work! I have never received such attention in anything I've made like this! I want to apologize for my bad grammar. English is not my favourite language, considering I write it everyday. But Literature is an Art I'm just getting into. As you have noticed, my style is too concrete. My descriptions are too straightforward instead of detailed (unlike my drawings!). And yes, I'm big fan of terror and my style focuses on Human Terror, occupying psychology and metaphysics, like you might have noticed in some descriptions. 
> 
> Writing from the perspective of Malik is my favourite thing. And I'm glad to mention there's going to be an inverted version of this fic called Before You Catch Me: Jamais Vú, which is going to tell the story from Rauf and Kadar's perspective, since there are points that need to be cleared coming from them! 
> 
> Before You Catch Me: Jamais Vú is going to be dedicated to a dear friend and RP partner. ♥
> 
> Thanks so much for your support and hope you liked this story!  
> And yes, Malik expresses like an Afro-American woman stereotype.


End file.
